Reviews
THE AMISH PROJECT
Stageworks/Hudson
By Charles Kondek
There is serious magic being performed at Stageworks/Hudson, on Cross Street in Hudson, with their regional premiere production of a relatively new play, “The Amish Project,” by first-time playwright and major talent, Jessica Dickey. The characters involved in the play are Carol Stuckey, the widow of a deranged gunman, Eddie Stuckey; two Amish sisters, Velda and Anna; Bill North, a professor of Amish culture, Sherry Local, a resident of Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, and America, a Hispanic girl. The magic created, sometimes unbelievable magic, is that all these seven roles are brilliantly, beautifully played by one actress, Rachel Siegel. Hers will probably go down as the performance of the summer. No one else will even come close.
Seigel's emotional range is extraordinary, from sweet girlish giddiness to mad wild cat ferocity and everything else in between. It is high class theater, compelling, startling, at times disturbing, but in the end, a rare, profound achievement.
Dickey's staccato, disjointed dialogue, which frequently segues into a primitive lyricism; reminds one of the fractured prose of Gertrude Stein, but taken as a whole, the work, being the fictionalized account of an actual event… is quite moving as it weaves together complex themes of forbearance, forgiveness, love, hope and the mysterious working of a seemingly disinterested God. Not everyone's God, but God nonetheless. A grim tale, but the piece does contain a good deal of honest humor.
Artistic director Laura Margolis directed the production, simply sensitively, thoughtfully. No heavy-handed theatrics here. As always she quickly, skillfully cuts to the psychological core of any piece she chooses to direct, ever respecting the needs and wishes of the playwright.
Members of the design team are all creative professionals. Most prominent is the eerie, amazingly effective sound design by Byron Nilsson, with a relentless rhythmic pulse which could easily be thought of as the heart beat of Velda, the Amish girl who tells the story., The set (by Randall Parson) is austere, cold, but at the same time, warm and comforting. The one costume (by Adrienne Westmore) is all that it should be. The dramatic lighting is by frequent Stageworks designer Frank DenDanto III.
The production continues through September 5. Call the box office at (518-822-9667) to insure your participation in the theatrical event of the season.
