What begins as an engagement celebration suddenly darkens when... An Inspector Calls. J. B. Priestley set the action in 1912 in North Midlands, England. Enter Inspector Goole; exit happiness.
A lovely young girl has met an untimely, painfully self-inflicted death. Each celebrant was a party to the depression leading to her demise. As the audience enters, we are met by an elegant set, replete with stylish furnishings, finely wall-papered walls, elegant drapes, lace curtains and massive double doors leading away from this dining room. The room has the aroma of wealth and power, but the inspector will dig into the underbelly, which reeks of human disregard for fellow humans.
Joseph Madruga has created one of the finest roles seen on any stage in San Diego this season. Every ounce of his being is the inspector, who uses every trick possible to lead the miscreants into confessions of their deeds and relationships with the deceased. He quietly creeps up behind a person, his head on their shoulder, and you know that he is a cobra about to strike. Moments later he screams passionately at another across the room. He is absolutely Machiavellian in his actions, his character always the moralist.
Though Madruga is brilliant, this is not a one-star cast. Cari Lowery, as newly-engaged Sheila Birling, moves from the happiness of her engagement to the remorse of her infantile jealousy to a complete understanding of the cruelty inflicted upon the deceased. When Lowery portrays her range of emotions, she seems to be feeling those passions at the moment.
John DeCarlo, as Sheila's brother Eric, also plays a complex character. We find, as the inspector hammers on, that Eric is much more than just a young drunk.
Lee Donnelly portrays the mother of Sheila and Eric, Sybil Birling, an aristocrat by birth. We soon find that behind her elegant facade she is an arrogant bitch. Donnelly is so convincing that she evokes strong emotions from the audience - we simply want to strangle her. Tom Kilroy, as nouveau industrialist Arthur Birling, is burdened with several terribly long speeches. Arthur is vain without generations of class distinction to pull it off properly. He ends up sounding like the money-grubbing commoner he really is. Kenn Burnett, Sheila's betrothed Gerald Croft, portrays the arrogance of inherited wealth. Croft postures properly, admitting to indiscretions. Thus, we learn to dislike the characters played by Burnett, Kilroy, and Donnelly. Finally, there is a young lady we don't get to know. She is Jamie Reagle, as the maid Edna, seen shortly on a couple of occasions.
Costumer Arlene Darden adds to the authenticity of the period with her selections. The scenic designers and set dresser complement Charles Nichols' set. Lighting and sound enhance the total believability of this production.
Director Mower's cast fits into the pre-World War I era quite naturally. Their English dialect is very light -- a directorial decision I would assume. Their movements about the stage prove well motivated.
Although occasionally wordy, this is an outstanding play with an outstanding cast extremely well directed. With minor tuning, this production, set and all, belongs downtown. Don't miss it.
