Theater Online - New York Theater Reviews

  Christabel, played by Elizabeth Gross

“With new surprise,
`What ails then my belovéd child“'
The Baron said—His daughter mild
Made answer, `All will yet be well!'
I ween, she had no power to tell
Aught else: so mighty was the spell.”

excerpt from “Christabel” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Based on the poem, “Christabel”, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and adapted for the stage by Monika Bustamonte, “Thirst: A Spell for Christabel”, hallmarks the premiere production for First Light Theater Group. Playing at the HERE Arts Center, ‘Thirst…’ briefly explores the life and desires of its title character, “Christabel” at a critical point in the life of her family and her personal development into womanhood.

The village is all but abandoned, leaving Christabel and her father, Leo, alone in their house by the woods with only an old hound to keep them company. Caught in a longstanding drought and with little money to be had, water and rations have become scarce. One night, Christabel ventures deep into the woods –distracted by thoughts of her father, her mother, and more importantly, her lost love– and stumbles upon a young woman, clothed in white, who later proves to be both a source of great hope and great sadness.

At first sight, the audience is a little uncertain of what to expect when introduced to the forest onstage before them, but like most of the productions HERE hosts, there’s a deviation from what’s apparent into something unexpected. House lights go down and a set of old-fashioned lanterns are lifted into the air, creating patches of shadow and light as they spin wildly. While unimpressive at first, Susan Zeeman Rogers’ set literally unfolds bit-by-bit, capturing both our attention and our eye. As the play progresses, large objects are rearranged and transformed into completely new environments; from the nooks and crannies, hidden objects, props, and even a brand new set are produced to propel the story forward.

Along those same lines, Justin Townsend and Arielle Edwards must be noted for their subtle, yet significant work in lighting and sound design (respectively). Rising and falling within context of the scene, a good deal of work goes into making each set of choices both subtle and meaningful. Washes of light and color help direct focus and emphasize mood; similarly, changes in the play’s sound scheme help foster emotions like tension, joy, or sadness.

  Enid, played by Lori Funk and Christabel, played by Elizabeth Gross

Unfortunately for ‘Christabel’, the acting and overall composition of the play aren’t as well presented as its technical aspects. As Leo, Matthew Cowles gets lost in his performance and delivers a very convincing aging father. Having set the bar rather high, Lori Funk (Enid), and Elizabeth Gross (Christabel), deliver inconsistent performances in comparison. Gross delights at points, but her portrayal falls somewhat flat and is often weighed down by the language of the piece. Funk, while giving the audience an “other-worldly” experience fails to push the envelope with her character and comes across as disconnected from her fellow actors. To some extent, there is a fine line between how much responsibility lays with the actors and how much lays with Rogers as the playwright- this debate continues.

All in all, I must compliment the First Light Theater Group on their premiere production and for starting off their run with an original work. While “Thirst: A Spell for Christabel” admittedly needs some added refining, I’d anticipate more good to come of their organization and could only hope for further collaborations with HERE.