Over the years I’ve reviewed books and plays and while I’ve certainly liked some more than others, I have always enjoyed the process. Last week I watched a rendition of Roahl Dahl’s Matilda at Waterman’s Community Center in North Haven.
Dahl passed away 34 years before what would seem fair, given what he might have enjoyed this night at 108. The show was a joint production of Waterman’s and the North Haven Community School, and I can honestly say I’ve never seen anything like it or anything better.
North Haven is a small island of 400 or so and over 10% of them were involved in this production, as were a half dozen or so of my own nearby fellow Vinalhaven islanders. The production was astonishing.
Her role required that she remain an island of calm in a storm of perfectly choreographed turbulence…
Thirty-two people with back or offstage responsibilities ranging from directing, set design, choreography, and costuming, to musical direction, light design, soundboard operation, and props comprised a team whose various responsibilities were as perfectly choreographed as those of the dozens of dancers—mostly kids ranging in age from 7 to 17—and of the exits and entrances of the 30 or so cast.
And those comings and goings, some of which, in other circumstances, would seem chaotic, were on this night, in this production, simply flawless and entertaining and often perfectly surprising.
The lead, 9-year-old Freya LaBelle, was a little hoarse on this, the third and final night of production. That’s certainly no surprise given that as Matilda she appeared to have more lines to memorize and then deliver than the rest of the cast entirely, certainly more lines than I’d have thought possible for a 9 year old to commit to memory.
Beyond that, her role required that she remain an island of calm in a storm of perfectly choreographed turbulence and she rose, flawlessly, to the occasion.
And then there’s Jake Greenlaw and Maria Keeler as Matilda’s manic, woefully distracted, and neglectful parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood. As we all learned years ago, to our delight, when the call goes out for “manic,” the hope is that Jake will be listening and he apparently was in this instance, and Maria was his equal.
They were both where they belonged and maybe happiest, way over the top, much to our delight. Thank goodness for librarian Mrs. Phelps, played so well by Alix Martin, who stepped into the considerable parental void and offered Matilda otherwise absent and much needed literary and intellectual stimulation.
Samantha Taggart was terrific as she gradually morphed from a faculty subservient to a brave and then quite assertive Miss Honey, standing up in defense of her students to the maniacal Agatha Trunchbull. I’m not sure I’d have been as courageous in confronting Trunchbull, even though I’m her father.
Sarah Crossman was nearly an embarrassment to me, not because she failed in any way to pull off the evil Agatha Trunchbull, but because she was so frighteningly malevolent and convincing. How could I have been responsible for such a wonderfully hateful and vindictive creature?
I was looking forward to a nice supper at home following this production, but after watching Sigmund Alexander as Bruce, a penalized youngster, devour that enormous chocolate cake while a maniacally expectant Trunchbull lorded over him gleefully anticipating digestive failure or worse, my appetite diminished a little.
The rest of those on-stage contributed equally to the success of this production. They included Gilda Alexander as Lavender, Matilda’s classmate who gleefully puts a newt in Trunchbull’s water and is thrown off-stage by her pigtails; Oscar Mann as Eric, accused by a mistaken Trunchbull of having the spine of a worm; Nigella, played by Penrose Trevaskis, who irritates Trunchbull by coming to school already knowing some words; Angella, played by Addison Marquis, who also irritates Trunchbull because she has such lovely pigtails; Alice, another of Matilda’s friends played by Mariah Small; Hortensia, another irritant, played by Summer Chillis; Haven Young as Tommy; Shaun Johnson as the escapologist; Allie Hughes as the acrobat; Molly McClellan as Rudolfo; Sparks Martin as Michael; Eva Hopkins as the doctor/cook; and Jared MacDonald as the children’s entertainer.
They were all wonderful.
A second showing at Waterman’s on North Haven will be Aug. 1-4. I’ll certainly be there.
Phil Crossman lives on Vinalhaven where he owns the Tidewater Motel. He may be contacted at PhilCrossman.VH@gmail.com.
