Parts played well in
By John Berger
stilted ‘Bad Seed’
Special to the Star-BulletinTHEATER audiences bear with Shakespearian language, so it shouldn't be as difficult as it seemed last night to handle the dated dialogue in "The Bad Seed." Maxwell Anderson's play is from a time when operators were necessary in placing long distance calls, telegrams were used when sending important messages, and kids gave a damn about penmanship. You can't fault director Gary L. Anderson for hewing true to the original dialogue, but much of it sounds quite stilted now.
Playwright Anderson's now-classic portrait of precociously evil Rhoda Penmark inquired rather ponderously whether sociopathic behavior reflects heredity or environment. Anyone who dodged the story as an English Lit assignment in high school will still find the "surprises" easy to foresee.
Director Anderson builds his production on JanDee Abraham's portrayal of a woman whose life dissolves as she learns her daughter is a serial killer. Abraham suffers convincingly; her final scenes touch the heart.
Warren Young (Leroy) shines in a role that reeks of racial stereotyping; he gives it a good workout. Linda Kidani and Jim Swenson create a sense of characters while successfully delivering most of the expository material used to frame the psychological issues. Kidani fills out a big role (director Anderson did a fine job as an emergency sub last night).
Kalani Brady brightens a small but key role. Diane Carter Anderson contributes a detailed portrayal of a victim's mother. Elizabeth Harrison is transparent and never sympathetic as evil Rhoda.
The pervasiveness of evil is underscored by M.J. Matsushita's set and the use of sound at key moments.
On stage
What: "The Bad Seed"
