From left, Joseph Watts, Michael Lynn (up), Zach Jordan (below) and Gwynne Jones. Jordan plays Dr. Jekyll, while Watts, Lynn and Jones portray several incarnations and personalities of Mr. Hyde.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde will be performed at the Colonnade Performing Arts Theater beginning Oct. 17. The dark production, adapted by playwright Jeffrey Hatcher, is based off the classic Robert Louis Stevenson novella, and will be presented by Back Alley Productions.
Shows are Oct. 17, 18, 24 and 25 at 7:30 p.m. with a 1 p.m. matinee on Oct. 25. The Colonnade is at 264 Catoosa Cir. Due to adult subject matter, parental guidance is advised for children under the age of 13.
Review for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde:
Keeping with the essence of the original novella, the production shows the good-natured Dr. Henry Jekyll’s descent into the evil within himself when he experiments with chemistry and splits his own personality. Several actors will portray the character of Hyde, Director Kaylee Smith says, because Hatcher’s adaptation strives to show the universal pull of evil inside everyone.
“This isn’t your everyday Jekyll and Hyde,” Ms. Smith said. “Many stage and film adaptations tend to water down the gravity of evil in Stevenson’s original. Hatcher’s version goes full throttle. So we’ve tailored the set, costumes and lighting to invoke that level of fright and suspense in a day and age where creating fear is no small task.”
The production is perfectly timed for the Halloween season, Ms. Smith said, and will appeal to fans of old school suspense and psychological thrillers looking to get into the holiday spirit.
“Our goal, when the curtain goes up, is to make your hair stand up on your back,” she said. “With a frightening script, haunting cast and spooky ambience, we’re going to milk our audience for as many goose bumps as we can get. The cast and crew have taken to the challenge and crafted something psychologically tense and dark, backed by a classic and engaging story with a wealth of complex characters.”
Tickets to the show are $11 for adults and $9 for students and seniors. They can be purchase
online at the tinyurl.com/hydetix or on the theater box office. Call 706.621-2870 or email
backalleyperformances@gmail.com for more information.
From left, Zach Jordan as Dr. Jekyll, Madison Smith as Elizabeth and Michael Lynn as Mr. Hyde.