psychological thriller | The Sleepless Critic

REVIEW: True North and Exiled Theatre’s ‘M. Refractions from an Evil Act’

Posted on 22 Days Ago by The Sleepless Critic

A man disoriented on the floor and a door seemingly with a mind of its own.

A sophisticated Parisian hotel holds a lot more than secrets in James Wilkinson’s M: Refractions from an Evil Act. Is this place escape or a trap?

With unpredictable direction by Joe Juknievich, Exiled Theatre recently presented the world premiere of mystery thriller drama, M: Refractions from an Evil Act live and in person at Boston Playwrights’ Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, August 9. This bilingual production in French and English contained some adult themes and was part of Boston University’s Boston Playwrights’ Theatre’s Incubator productions. It ran 2 hours with a 15 minute intermission. Click here for more information.

Peter Tone and Julia Hertzberg in ‘M: Refractions from an Evil Act’ Photo credit: Morganna Becker

With a classic soundtrack that added a vintage flair, M. Refractions from an Evil Act is an intriguing production that does a lot in its two hour run time. It reaches into a realm of possibilities such as time travel, paranormal activity, possession, loneliness, guilt, and grief when a mysterious woman claims an intruder was in her hotel room. However, when her claims, sordid history and circumstances for being in Paris suspiciously change on a dime, she becomes a person of interest that cannot be trusted.

Julia Hertzberg and Peter Tone in ‘M: Refractions from an Evil Act’ Photo credit: Morganna Becker

Glamorously dressed in a blue romper with a coordinated scarf, Julia Hertzberg as seemingly self-centered “M” is one moment lonely, the next sharing her grim thoughts and then overwhelmed, disoriented and frustrated at her ordeal wishing to drown her sorrows. However, this is no ordinary hotel and the people around her have secrets of their own.

Out of the characters presented, Peter Tone is the most likable as a Hotel Clerk. Tone is instantly accommodating, genuinely concerned and a sincere listener with good chemistry with Hertzberg’s M while Sydney Grant as brisk, determined, genteel and no nonsense Jolene is laser focused on cleanliness and order. Grant as Jolene and Hertzberg as M share an intense dynamic while M’s relationship with Tim Hoover as Lone is a striking puzzle. As soon as things start to become clearer, more and more questions arise.

Tim Hoover and Peter Tone in ‘M: Refractions from an Evil Act’ Photo credit: Morganna Becker.

Producer and costume designer Laura Crook Waxdal delivers chic Parisian style in attire which includes coat and tails, a classic French maid uniform and tailored suit with a brimmed hat. Nick Duffy’s flickering lighting design lends to the production’s suspense and enlivens Joe Juknievich’s foreboding set depicting a historic hotel room with wooden furnishings.

M does not know and is not interested in learning French and much of the production is in French without translation perhaps to put the audience in M’s shoes. For those who understand French, you are in the right place. However, it does make this already complex show more difficult to follow.

Sydney Grant and Julia Hertzberg in ‘M: Refractions from an Evil Act’ Photo credit: Morganna Becker

This production was inspired by the playwright’s bizarre three-day Parisian weekend and I wish I knew more about that experience. Though this thrilling production boasts a lineup of compelling characters while delivering a chilling vibe somewhere between Twilight Zone and Hitchcock with a cryptic sense of humor, it also spends a lot of time deciding the direction of its narrative. This work in progress touches on a lot of themes presented seemingly out of sequence yet does not fully commit to them. There’s loss, crime, revenge, special effects and even some mind tricks and while I love a good mystery and appreciate the concept, so many elements are left to interpretation which becomes confusing and frustrating. The show offers so many possibilities, but leaves more questions than answers.

Exiled Theatre recently presented the world premiere mystery thriller drama, M: Refractions from an Evil Act live and in person at Boston Playwrights Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, August 9. Click here for more information.

REVIEW: Things more than go bump in the night in gripping ‘Paranormal Activity’

Posted on July 23 by The Sleepless Critic

Full Disclosure: I saw Paranormal Activity Live on Stage alone.

Not necessarily a fan of horror with few exceptions, my interests lean more towards thought-provoking science fiction or a psychological thriller. I was hesitant as I arrived at Emerson Colonial Theatre facing a black curtain, but left riveted by the production’s depth, intensity, and a truly remarkable cast.

Paranormal Activity can be chilling, but is also rooted squarely in the human condition with a great deal of darkly relatable humor and lots of twists and turns. It lured me in and never let go.

Superbly directed by Felix Barrett, Levi Halloway’s Paranormal Activity Live on Stage continues its pre-Broadway run through Thursday, July 30 at Emerson Colonial Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts. For the squeamish, this intense and immersive production is not gory. It does contain explicit language, some dark themes and runs two hours and 20 minutes with one intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Cher Álvarez and Travis A. Knight in Paranormal Activity. Photo by Teresa Castracane Photography.

Metal, alternative and hard rock 90s music from musicians such as Soundgarden revs up the audience before the production begins. Paranormal Activity Live on Stage is considered a new story from the original film which inspired six sequels. A seventh film sequel has an anticipated 2027 release date. The original film latched onto the clunky, grainy and less polished amateur film style of The Blair Witch Project which enjoyed great success at the time.

However, the stage production greatly improves on the film predecessor in multiple ways. The film has a grainy home video quality, but this production is all encompassing and in vibrant color. Having witnessed the original film, the Paranormal Activity play is more effective, allowing the audience to experience multiple scenarios at once led with sterling timing by lighting designer Anna Watson. Scenic and costume designer Fly Davis crafts an elaborate and functional dual level house which includes five detailed and sophisticated rooms featuring a modern kitchen, hanging plants and a smart flat screen television. Illusion designer Chris Fisher, the illusionist behind Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway, creates plenty of riveting moments that will have you fully invested in what will happen next.

Cher Álvarez in Paranormal Activity. Photo by Kyle Flubacker.

Contributing to the production’s unfettered tension, Gareth Fry’s mesmerizing sound design ranges from a steely and hollow hum to sudden rings to what can be likened to a deafening and reverberating wind tunnel.

This engaging cast is so in sync and polished that they will make you almost forget you are watching a horror stage play. Cher Álvarez as Lou Singer and Travis A. Knight as James Singer are incredibly charming as a newly married couple who have just moved into a house in London. Playful with a dynamic sense of humor, Álvarez and Knight demonstrate a heartwarming and genuine connection as they embrace and warmly support each other.

Shannon Cochran is impressive as James’s religious and pushy southern mother who only wants what is best for her son and Eva Kaminsky is captivating as an eerie and insightful famous podcaster Etheline Cotgrave.

Paranormal Activity boasts many darkly funny moments while also delving into serious issues such as depression, trauma, secrets, marital challenges, spiritual warfare and much more with a wealth of unpredictable twists and turns. At one point, this fully invested audience (including me) was at the edge of our seats rooting on the characters and united in the action. Although I came alone to the production, I did not feel alone with this intense and excited crowd.

Isn’t that what live theatre is all about?

Levi Halloway’s Paranormal Activity Live on Stage continues its pre-Broadway run live and in person at Emerson Colonial Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts through Thursday, July 30. Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW: A ferocious song of desire in American Repertory Theater’s musical, ‘Black Swan’

Posted on June 27 by The Sleepless Critic

“Attack it! Attack it!”

In Darren Aronofsky’s 2010 psychological thriller horror film Black Swan, Nina’s ballet instructor urges Nina to show him a side to her that she has never known. It’s the side that lets go.

American Repertory Theater’s musical Black Swan may be a bit different than the movie in some respects, but the message remains the same.

With Sonya Tayeh’s taut direction and dynamite choreography and Or Matias’s foreboding music direction, American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) continues the world premiere of psychological thriller horror musical, Black Swan live and in person at Loeb Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts through Sunday, July 12. The action is not limited to the stage and this mature production within a production runs approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes with one intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Melanie Moore and members of the company of A.R.T.’s world-premiere production of Black Swan.
Credit: Hawver and Hall.

The arts can be brutal, competitive and fickle. Especially with the art of ballet, it requires a unique kind of discipline, sacrifice and determination under the constant pressure of perfection.

Black Swan started out as a 2010 Academy award-winning psychological thriller horror film featuring a stellar cast that included Natalie Portman as Nina, Mila Kunis as Lily, Winona Ryder as Beth and the incomparable Barbara Hershey as Nina’s mother Barbara. It’s a mesmerizing yet unsettling film loaded with literal and figurative twists and turns through the eyes of sweet dancer Nina whose reality sporadically becomes skewed as the film progresses.

In the process of making the film, Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis endured rigorous training and followed a strict diet. Kunis had never danced in her life. Both trained for four months on an intense schedule seven days a week and five hours a day which also included Portman swimming a mile every day. Portman lost 20 pounds from her already tiny frame and Kunis tore a ligament, dislocated her shoulder and has visible scarring from training. Kunis also vowed she will never dance again and it was the hardest thing she had ever done.

Based on Jen Silverman‘s book of this musical, a story by Andres Heinz and the Academy Award-winning psychological thriller horror film, this world premiere musical boasts some lighter and more humorous moments while its intensity is laid out from the first scene featuring ambitious characters consistently competing with each other. They are driven by the arduous drive to survive, succeed, and gain power. It is no wonder that the lyrics and dialogue in this new musical are rife with powerfully visceral action words such as tear, scratch, scrape, twist, elongate, crack and attack as the dancers rehearse on a grueling three week deadline for a new production. It makes the audience feel this painstaking process.

Amber Iman and members of the company of A.R.T.’s world-premiere production of Black Swan.
Credit: Hawver and Hall.

For those who have not seen the brilliant yet disquieting film, the film and musical are not a musical for the faint of heart. They explore the dark crevices of mental illness and obsession while emphasizing the struggle and ferocious determination it takes to become the best.

However, the Black Swan musical does not just speak to the art of ballet, but the savage journey one takes to become the best at their craft which often involves relentless focus, determination and sacrifice.

AMP featuring Marissa Todd’s vast and layered Scenography accompanied by Chris Fisher and Skylar Fox’s masterful illusion design exacts a ballet studio with moving Barres, a regal gala featuring a tremendous and glimmering chandelier, a wild psychedelic club scene with a dizzying disco ball, and a transformative and ominous forest. I was fascinated to see how various illusions from the film would translate into a stage production and the results are riveting combined with Lillis Meeh’s stunning blood imagery and Ida Saki’s powerful and athletic performance.

Isabella Byrd’s crackling and flashing lighting devastates and intrigues in this moody tale alongside Kai Harada’s haunting and foreboding fiddle laden rhythms. Shiona Turini’s colorful and dynamic wardrobe varies from silk and sequined gowns to creatively daring statement ensembles.

Melanie Moore in A.R.T.’s world-premiere production of Black Swan.
Credit: Hawver and Hall.

In a pastel leotard, Melanie Moore climbs into the skin of anxious and gentle Nina, a New York City ballet dancer aspiring to become the company’s principal dancer. A perfectionist wrapped in a cluster of timid uncertainty, Nina is childlike, delicate, naïve, impressionable and sheltered under the guidance of her protective mother Barbara, in an increasingly searing performance by understudy Mehry Eslaminia (usually depicted by Kate Jennings Grant). Barbara is fixated on Nina becoming the star ballerina she was prevented from becoming and Nina longs to please her mother. Moore is excellent as Nina, a beautiful dancer and her sympathetic naiveté draws you into her world of uncertainty and longing.

When a bold new choreographer LeRoy, portrayed with easy charm, charisma and sharp comic timing by Amber Iman, arrives to stage a new version of Swan Lake, Nina thinks this might be her chance to shine. When Jada Simone Clark breezes in as mysterious and effervescent free spirit dancer Lily, she catches Nina and LeRoy’s attention. LeRoy is driven by something to prove and Iman and Thom Sesma as company director Jacques share a tense and interesting power dynamic underneath their lighter and more humorous moments.

Tory Trowbridge delivers a chilling performance as worn principal dancer on edge, Beth McIntyre. Consistently aware of her position, McIntyre is sympathetic in her desperation to hold onto her place in the company and her distressed exchanges with Moore will leave you on tenterhooks.

Ava Noble, Martell Ruffin, Adrian Lee, Anthony Santos, and Caleb Marshall lift
Melanie Moore in A.R.T.’s world-premiere production of Black Swan.
Credit: Hawver and Hall.

While the film draws a clearer picture of Nina’s journey, Black Swan musical is intense, haunting, visceral and intriguing deciphering Nina’s precarious state of mind and how it is executed onstage. The conclusion remains stunning. I agree with the moderate differences in the musical than the film for the most part. However, much of the film hinges on the traditional ballet production than a modern new vision which seems like it doesn’t quite fit. In the film, Aronofsky takes the dark nature of this renowned classic and turns it on its ear while enhancing this dancer’s journey running intermittent parallels with Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. Aronofky also produces this musical so I am surprised by this change. Though this musical is no romance, it is no less a transformational piece rooted in the desire to become who you believe you are meant to become at whatever the cost.

American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) continues the world premiere of psychological thriller horror musical, Black Swan live and in person at Loeb Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts through Sunday, July 12. Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW: Going to extremes in SpeakEasy Stage’s somber ‘Job’

Posted on February 3 by The Sleepless Critic

Talk about the dark web.

A woman on the edge and a man is barely keeping it together…at gunpoint.

Such is the opening of SpeakEasy Stage’s intense thriller Job, a two hander production that is at times, a nail biter and other times, a deep dive into a woman’s unfiltered thoughts, observations and teetering panic with a startling twist that holds a grievous and agonizing truth.

Directed with raw candor by Marianna Bassham, SpeakEasy Stage continues its 35^th season with Max Wolf Friedlich’s searing psychological thriller, Job through Saturday, February 7 live and in person at the Calderwood Pavilion in Boston, Massachusetts. This fast paced production contains strong language and adult themes running approximately 80 minutes with no intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

From left: Josephine Moshiri Elwood and Dennis Trainor Jr. Photo by Benjamin Rose Photography

Set in downtown San Francisco in 2020, set designer Payton Tavares with Amanda E. Fallon’s moody lighting depicts a warmly lit and detailed therapist’s office in muted colors that features a leather couch, desk, several paintings and few family photos. Intense, hollow and at times creepily deafening, Lee Schuna’s carefully orchestrated sound design signals several significant moments during the production.

Job is not unfamiliar territory for director Marianna Bassham who starred in her Elliot Norton award-winning and indelible portrayal as Nina in SpeakEasy Stage’s People, Places and Things in 2022. While People, Places, and Things dives into the deep chasm of an addict, Job takes a different approach to trauma and addiction in Jane in a visceral performance by Josephine Moshiri Elwood. Having recently performed as idyllic Emily in Lyric Stage’s Our Town, Elwood shows her broad range depicting a deeply wounded, distressed, controlling and flawed individual wearing haphazard loungewear with a colossal chip on her shoulder. Jane condescends, snipes, is obstinate and shows narcissistic tendencies, but the why of it all will soon rise to the surface while Dennis Trainor Jr. skillfully portrays an alarmed yet seemingly mild mannered therapist Loyd who does what he can to temper this unpredictable situation.

Josephine Moshiri Elwood Photo by Benjamin Rose Photography

Elwood and Trainor Jr. hint at a battle of wits rapport and both are guarded in their own way which only allows glimpses into their true nature. It is fascinating to see how the conversation shifts as they learn more about one another.

From left: Dennis Trainor Jr. and Josephine Moshiri Elwood Photo by Benjamin Rose Photography

Job kicks off at an eleven and keeps its dialogue crisp. Much of this swiftly moving production tackles the nature of panic and anxiety and spans a number of scenarios real and imagined. It also takes a raw look at the dangers and the dark crevices of the digital age. It is a powerful production, but its potent content while gripping, may not appeal to everyone. It was a lot for me and could possibly conjure up some complex feelings for you as well. The production delivers pop culture references, politics, and contemporary issues while striving at lighter hearted moments in its occasional dark and dry humor, but the escalating situation may not leave much room for laughter.

SpeakEasy Stage continues its 35^th season with Max Wolf Friedlich’s tense psychological thriller, Job through Saturday, February 7 live and in person at the Calderwood Pavilion in Boston, Massachusetts. Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW: Her struggle for power in Apollinaire Theatre’s ‘Hedda Gabler’

Posted on March 14, 2025 by The Sleepless Critic

It’s becoming quite a day and Hedda Gabler has just about had enough.

Intolerant, impatient, and excruciatingly bored, Parker Jennings brings spark to Hedda Gabler, an entitled general’s daughter who settled for her husband because she felt like she was running out of options. Some of Parker’s best moments depict the phony and tight smile forcing its way across her lips in public before glowering when no one is looking.

Directed by Danielle Fauteux Jacques, Apollinaire Theatre Company continues Hedda Gabler live and in person at Chelsea Theatre Works in Chelsea, Massachusetts through Sunday, March 16. Henrik Ibsen’s classic psychological thriller runs approximately one hour and 45 minutes with no intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

The cast of Apollinaire Theatre Company’s ‘Hedda Gabler’ Photo: Danielle Fauteux Jacques

Gazing out into Hedda’s world from one solitary angle, it becomes clear that the audience is limited exclusively to Hedda’s single-minded perspective in this dark tale. Set in the 1890s, Hedda Gabler focuses a full day inside the drawing room of the Tesman villa in Kristiania, Norway. Joseph Lark-Riley’s tense and chilling sound design infused with a mix of ominous and soft flickering lights by Danielle Fauteaux Jacques enlivens some of the idle chatter and gossip exchanged during the production. Lark-Riley also delivers a sophisticated set full of dainty flowers, bookcases, and a vintage piano sitting center stage as cast members alter the set from scene to scene. Elizabeth Rocha’s delicate and finely detailed costumes reflect the Victorian era in distinguished three piece suits, florals, silks, and extravagant lace.

Parker Jennings as Hedda and Conall Sahler as Tesman in Apollinaire Theatre Company’s ‘Hedda Gabler’ Photo: Danielle Fauteux Jacques

Each character is either onstage or sitting on the sidelines, but the most significant impact is Parker as Hedda’s constant presence even prior to making her first appearance. She is always looming in the background within the audience’s vantage point needing our constant attention.

After just returning from a six month honeymoon, newlyweds Conall Sahler as sweet and well meaning yet tedious academic Tesman and Parker Jennings as Hedda are hosting a visit with Paola Ferrer as kindly and uncomfortably intrusive, but perhaps not by societal standards, Julianna. Earnest, kindhearted and generous, Julianna has a strong bond with her nephew Tesman and strives to make him happy.

Paola Ferrer as Julianna and Conall Sahler as Tesman in Apollinaire Theatre Company’s ‘Hedda Gabler’ Photo: Danielle Fauteux Jacques

Having never read or seen this Ibsen classic before, Hedda Gabler takes a bit to get going, but nothing quite prepares you for Parker’s instantly unsettling entrance. In a white ruffled sundress, Parker is certainly a vision as Hedda and can barely muster a smile for Ferrer’s Julianna even in the face of Julianna’s warm generosity.

Hedda Gabler is a psychological thriller from the perspective of Hedda Gabler who sees her world as monotonous and it seems the most scandalous parts of the production take place outside this villa and merely discussed by members of the cast. Ibsen’s classic is a brilliant portrait of a selfish and shrewd narcissist and the show has suspense, but if the audience is witnessing Hedda’s world from her perspective, the production’s more stagnant scenes seem meant to appear that way. Even with Cristhian Mancinas-Garcia as cunning Brack and Joshua Lee Robinson as impressionable Lovborg, the stakes do not seem as convincingly high as they should be.

Cristhian Mancinas-Garcia as Brack, Joshua Lee Robinson as Lovborg, and Ann Carpenter as Berta in Apollinaire Theatre Company’s ‘Hedda Gabler’ Photo: Danielle Fauteux Jacques

A juggernaut of outbursts and fury, Parker’s Hedda is pivotal to this role because she carries the brunt of the tension and Parker has quite a challenge to keep this tension teetering and unstable. Disappointed in Tesman and their life together, Hedda longs for an act of spontaneous beauty and will stop at nothing to stir up thrills in her life, whatever the cost.

Parker Jennings as Hedda and Kimberly Blaise MacCormack as Thea in Apollinaire Theatre Company’s ‘Hedda Gabler’ Photo: Danielle Fauteux Jacques

This period piece squarely delves into the limitations of a Victorian woman. Expected to get married, have babies, and settle down into a subservient existence, Hedda wishes for something more and sets her own path way ahead of her time.

Apollinaire Theatre Company continues Hedda Gabler live and in person at Chelsea Theatre Works in Chelsea, Massachusetts through Sunday, March 16. Henrik Ibsen’s classic psychological thriller runs approximately one hour and 45 minutes with no intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.