Caftans!!!... Statement Jewelry!!!... Plot-driven Thrillers on Stage!!!...
Yes, it's the '70s again at Raven Theatre as they present the first show of their 41st season—a revival of Lucille Fletcher's woman-in-peril Night Watch, which first appeared on Broadway in 1972 and was quickly turned into a film the following year starring Elizabeth Taylor and Lawrence Harvey, reteaming for the first time since 1960's BUtterfield Eight.
Directed by Georgette Verdin, this revival has almost all the ingredients of the kind of edge-of-your-seat production that used to fill theater seats eight shows a week: great writing, surprising plot twists, immersive set design (kudos to Mara Ishihara Zinky), gorgeous period costumes—including that first act caftan (shout out to Steph Taylor), and a talented supporting cast (Jodi Gage, Matthew Martinez Hannon, Christopher Meister and— especially—Kathy Scambiatterra playing both a maid and a psychotherapist.
But... what the play doesn't have is actors in the leading roles who fully inhabit their characters and draw sympathetic attention from the audience.
The lead actor, Alla Ayilam Peck, at times comes close in her portrayal of Elaine Wheeler, an unstable woman of privilege who is unable to rely on her own judgment or trust those closest to her—her husband John and best friend Blanche. Peck looks great in the '70s costumes, but her almost rote performance never quite convincingly conveys the panic her character is meant to feel when witnessing two purported murders.
Kroydell Galima, playing Elaine's husband John, is, unfortunately, notably two-dimensional—either loud (and thus angry) or quiet (and uncaring). Like Dorothy Parker's famous quip concerning Katherine Hepburn, he conveys the gamut of emotions from A to B.
Theatergoers interested in seeing an old-school staged thriller (written by the author of the immortal Sorry, Wrong Number) may find some elements to enjoy in this revival. But, unfortunately, this production ultimately falls flat. I am more hopeful for the rest of Raven's season.
Night Watch runs through November 12 at Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark; general admission tickets are $45 and may be purchased at www.raventheatre.com. The show lasts two hours with one 15-minute intermission.
For more information on this and other plays, see theatreinchicago.com.
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