SALT LAKE- The Moors, a gothic play by Jen Silverman, follows two sisters, Agatha, played by Viviane Turman, and Hudley, played by Addilynn Bowler, living a spinster life in a dark cottage in the moors of England. Directed by Ellie Otis, the VooDoo Theatre Company in Salt Lake has brought this dreary comedy to life at the Mid Valley Arts Center.
The Mid Valley Arts Center has a few performance venues, and The Moors is in their studio black box. As you enter the space, the set, not credited with a designer in the program, is rather simple, with sheets for walls, and sheets covering the chairs and chaise lounge. This gives the time period an indistinguishable air, which is furthered by the random costumes from different time periods, also not credited with a designer. At first I found this confusing; however, as the production progressed, I learned that the confusion had a purpose. As the audience, you are not meant to understand the time and place, just as the moors of England leave you feeling a little lost and desolate. This is displayed best in how the character of Emilie, played by Jessica Graham, feels as though she is always in the same room while everyone insists she is in a different room, and that she is seeing the same person, while the maid, played in a delightfully creepy manner by Nicole Finney, rather insists she is a different person based on who she is needed to be at the time. Graham learns to take the confusion in stride and plays well with the frustration. Her entrance into the home starts a chain of very unexpected events.
The Moors is a rather absurd comedy and tragedy all rolled up into one. It is not the type of play one often sees produced in Utah, and for that VooDoo Theatre Company and director Otis receive praise. I often say that the beginning of a good theatrical experience starts with the director’s note in the playbill, and Otis did not disappoint on this front. They used the space reflect on how our actions play out in the world, what it says about sanity. The play draws parallels to the current life we now live in. Are we who others shape us to be, the conditions we live in, or who we want to be? Knowing the director’s vison helps understand the show and acting choices more.
One of the most delightful pairings of the show was Alvaro Cortez as a rather mysterious and depressed Mastiff and Merry Magee, a swing who stepped in the night I saw the show as the Moor-Hen. Magee and Cortez, through a lot of allegorical acting and writing, brought home many of the themes of the show in lively and interesting ways. Cortez would recite poems, which was surprising to witness a dog doing with such eloquence. Magee showed the appropriate amount of hesitance that a bird should show when a dog may try to connect with them, but their chemistry and character building gives them and the audience a sense of security that makes some of the plot twists more haunting as the foreshadowing becomes fulfilled.
Turman as Agatha was a harsh character, yet I found myself realizing that if she were a man, I would likely describe her as matter of fact. By contrast, Bowler as Hudley seemed dimwitted and flighty, and she plays the role quite well. Again, about halfway through the production I felt uncomfortable with my own stereotypes, realizing that if Bowler were a male character my thoughts would have likely been more of a clown or comedic relief, and perhaps that was the point of Silverman and Otis, to remind us of how quickly we lean into the stereotypes. This theme was further played out by Finney as the crazy maid, yet the level of atrocity that continues to grow within the home, the trauma that continues to happen would likely lead to insanity no matter the gender. Finney played the role to great effect, with the ability to change facial expression and body mannerisms every time she was supposed to change who she was portraying and what level of insanity she had reached. Bowler also had fantastic comedic timing, which was shown with a surprising song thrown in near the end of the 90-minute show with no intermission.
The production has queer themes, discussions of depression, themes of murder, abuse and other content. Potential audiences should be aware of these things when determining appropriateness. It was an interesting and bold choice for a production, and one that I had not heard of before coming to the show. It was first published in 2017, which also makes it a relatively new work not only for Salt Lake but for the theatrical world. The absurdist dark humor was unexpected and the fascinating direction and strong acting left me thinking about my own choices and how much control I do or do not have in my own life.
These reviews are made possible by a grant from the Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts, and Parks program.
