Capital High School presents The Rimers of Eldritch

My wife and I watched last night's show, an ambitious staging of Lanford Wilson's depressing, stark murder mystery / morality play. Kudos to the cast and crew for an exceedingly well-acted and technically brilliant production. Positioned on a wooden set that simulates front porches, living rooms, a restaurant, a church, and a courtroom, among other places, the actors remain onstage all through each of two acts. Scene changes are accomplished by clever use of lighting and movement.

I won't summarize the plot other than to note that it unfolds in a nonlinear fashion, disparate fragments sewn together in the final scenes. Though engaging, the play suffers from two faults that leave the viewer ultimately unsatisfied. First, its parody of a close-knit Bible Belt community is a bit overdrawn and lacks nuance. Second, the tension that has built throughout the first three quarters of the play is partly wasted in an anticlimactic denouement.

Despite these problems, it's still worth seeing for its outstanding and experienced cast, which translates Wilson's dark vision of hypocrisy with chilling effectiveness. Derik Nelson (as Robert Conklin), Esa Hakkarainen (as Skelly Mannor), Gavin Reub (as Walter) and Sydney Whitten (as Cora Groves) put in particularly affecting performances.

Rimers continues its run February 4th, 9th, 10th, and 11th. All shows are at 7:30 p.m. $8 adults, $6 students and senior citizens.