Lost Nation Theater is thrilled to start its 31st Season as Montpelier’s Resident professional theater with TURN OF THE SCREW–a stage adaptation of the classic tale by Henry James. A psychological thriller, it is part ghost story, part literary classic and totally entertaining!
Turn of the Screw by Jeffrey Hatcher runs Thursdays through Sundays, April 25 through May 12, at City Hall Arts Center, Montpelier – with an Opening Gala April 26, featuring special guest Chris Bohjalian.
“A ghost story– that tells the tale—of an apparition appearing to a child—always lens the tale a certain ‘turn of the screw’. But if one child—lends the tale one turn—what can be said—of two children?”
A young governess journeys to a lonely English manor house to care for two recently orphaned children. However, once there she starts to see the ghost of their former governess haunting them. She—and the audience—must decide if the ghosts real or simply a product of her imagination.
How far would you go to save the ones you loved? And what would you do if forces beyond your control everything at risk?
Led by director Kim Allen Bent, LNT audience favorites Christopher Scheer and Laura Erle, along with designers Charis Churchill, Donna Stafford, David Schraffenberger and Stevie De, bring this ghost story to life on stage.
Scheer plays The Man. His LNT projects include Complete Works of Wm Shakespeare-Abridged, …Irma Vep and Eurydice. Scheer is enjoying the challenge of playing numerous distinct characters in a drama. “I’ve not done this before – in farces, yes; but never in a drama. This ‘Screw’ is remarkable in its showcasing of the power of theater and human imagination.”
Actor Laura Erle was most recently seen in LNT’s Twelfth Night and Sense & Sensibility takes on the role of the emotionally torn Governess. “I love the duality in the governess: the strengths she finds, even as the horrors she experiences bring out the demons in her. And I love the minimal style of the show. We have ourselves and the words. It such classic storytelling.”
Director Bent (who is also Lost Nation Theater’s Founding Artistic Director) offers: “Jeffrey Hatcher’s adaptation of Henry James’s novel ‘Turn of the Screw’ ingeniously distills this classic tale of loss of innocence to its bare bones–two actors play all the parts with virtually no props on an essentially empty stage, so that much like listening to a radio play mystery thriller, each audience member is free to conjure the disturbing details from their own imagination. For all of us on the production team at LNT, this project is a great opportunity to explore the art of storytelling at its most essential level.”
Costume Designer Charis Churchill says, “I’m compelled by the show’s simultaneous simplicity and complexity, with a whole lot of mystery! I can’t wait to see how it all comes together.” Technical Director Robyn Osiecki adds, “I’m looking forward to seeing our actors give it all form! We also have a hazer coming in to assist with lighting for this show, so expect lots of eerie ambiance.”
This tale of terror, horror, and death is sure to keep audiences on the edge of their seats, with breath bated and their hearts pounding. Fans of the classic or those new to the story will be spellbound by the story’s twists and turns.