THE THIN PLACE – Written by Lucas Hnath; Directed by Jessica Robblee. Produced by BETC (Presented at the Savoy Event Center, 2700 Arapahoe, Denver, and the Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut Street, Boulder) through September 28 at the Savoy Event Center and October 3-26 at the Dairy Arts Center. Tickets available at betc.vbotickets.com for the Denver engagement; thedairy.org for the Boulder performances.
It starts in silence. A young girl quietly slips into a chair on stage, not wanting to be noticed. The audience notices and grows silent . . . waiting. We wait together. Finally, she looks up shyly, not sure if she should speak. But then she does, addressing the house with a story of how her grandmother taught her to communicate telepathically with her. She wanted them to be able to communicate after she had passed on.
Hilda is her name; her interest in psychic abilities leads to a meeting with a “professional” communicator with the deceased who pacifies people with her ability to guess what they want to hear “from the other side.” This quiet girl reveals a story confusing and mysterious. A timely phone call and a visit to her childhood home add to the confusion.
Madison Taylor is a mesmerizing actress. She controls the room even when she isn’t speaking. Her ability to use silence engagingly, to be absorbed in action that surrounds her but does not involve her, her impeccable diction, her palpable fear that draws you into concern for her… just brilliant. I can’t wait to see her again.
Tara Falk is a treasured Denver actress and director. She takes on the role of Linda with a soothing confidence. She is certain that her “gift” is secure enough that she can reveal its deceptive qualities to her new friend with no consequences. She has the lazy grace of a Southern belle but the voice and attitude of a posh Londoner. She sees nothing wrong with the way she makes a living, although the London police beg to differ.
Linda has a couple of friends who share a bottle of wine with her and Hilda. The evening turns rambunctious and argumentative, finally devolving into the telling of a sort of ghost story. Jerry (Jihad Milhem) is a cocky, self-important world traveler who has opinions. Everyone must agree with his opinions. But when he’s left alone with the quietude that is Hilda, he turns into a bumbling schoolboy. The second friend is Sylvia, played by local favorite Maggie Tisdale. She has been secretly supporting Linda’s lifestyle and is beginning to resent it. A full bottle of wine later, words are exchanged, tempers flare, but inevitably, peace is made. Then, Hilda is urged by the others to tell the story of the last time she saw her mother.
The play is so well written that the momentum it is gathering is unnoticeable until, suddenly, you are in the middle of it. It’s ramped up in the second scene with the arrival of the two argumentative friends. But it has a third scene that grabs you by the hair and pulls you into the darkness. The audience was leaning into the space, trying to get a better look. To discover – Does the thin place exist?
This exercise in suspense plays in Denver at the Savoy through September; then it moves to the Dairy Center in Boulder for an October engagement. Order your tickets NOW. Once the buzz on this one hits the streets, they will become scarce. If you are a fan of stories that intrigue; of clean, crisp acting; of a work that leaves you walking out of the theatre shaking your head and asking, “What just happened?”, this is the one for you. Mesmerizing is the name of the game for THE THIN PLACE.
A WOW factor of 9.25!