Nothing but praise for 'Jekyll and Hyde'

The Playhouse cast includes some very talented YSU students.
By L. CROW
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
YOUNGSTOWN -- If you haven't made it to one performance at the Youngstown Playhouse this 2005-06 season, then be sure to see the closing mainstage play "Jekyll and Hyde: the Musical."
High gas prices and all, this one is worth the trip. In the leading role is Vaughn Schmidt, a Youngstown State University freshman who has become somewhat of a sensation on local stages lately. In addition to his phenomenal performance, the play also features other very talented YSU students, as well as community members, in supporting roles.
Michael Moritz Jr., a familiar face to most area theatergoers, has done a wonderful job as music director, bringing this gorgeous, haunting musical to life. The set is awesome, not only visually, but logistically, capable of making numerous scene changes in a blink without interrupting the flow of the show. Playhouse Managing Director John Holt directs the production.
On the surface, "Jekyll and Hyde" may appear as a fictional thriller, to the likes of "Frankenstein" or "Dracula," some make-believe fairy tale gone wrong, but upon closer examination, it contains more truth than fiction.
Experiment gone wrong
Dr. Henry Jekyll is a good and brilliant scientist in 1880s London whose love for his father, now confined to the violent ward at St. Jude's Hospital, has brought him to the desperation point. His experiments to create a serum that would separate the good from the evil in humankind and restore his father's personality are ridiculed by the Board of Governors.
When he is unable to secure the funds, but more importantly, human subjects to use for testing, he takes matters into his own hands and begins to experiment on himself. He transforms into his evil aspect, Edward Hyde, and unexpectedly finds a liberation to unleash all the inhibitions he has kept imprisoned within himself. The research goes terribly out of control when he begins transforming without the serum.
Humans often seem to be drawn to dark and morbid tales, especially if they appear far removed from reality. We are able to experience aspects of ourselves too frightening to face in the real world. Jekyll represents the passion many people feel to create a better world, no matter what our personal cost, but often our best efforts backfire and turn against us. The story also symbolizes our human condition: Society dictates that we must behave in a certain way in order to be acceptable. Jekyll's desire for complete freedom to express all aspects of himself becomes his overwhelming obsession, and his eventual demise.
Excellent cast
Along with the main plot, this play contains underlying stories of love and loyal friendship. Though Jekyll is engaged to another, he becomes attracted to a prostitute named Lucy, who becomes a fixation to him as Hyde. YSU student Heidi Davis gave her usual excellent performance as this woman who gains liberation through her relationship with Jekyll. Davis said this is her dream role, and very different from what she usually plays.
Stephanie Ottey, from YSU, however, lately has played females of low integrity, so her role as the good and proper Emma, fianc & eacute;e to Jekyll, provides a new opportunity to showcase her multifaceted talents. Matthew White shone as Emma's father, Sir Danvers, perhaps the one character who could perceive the depth of Jekyll's passion. But the person of deepest love and loyalty to Jekyll, even after learning his horrible truth, was Gabriel John Utterson, superbly portrayed by YSU's Richard Bell.
The musical continues weekends through May 28; Fridays/Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Tickets: (330) 788-8739.