Dark of the Moon

Dark of the Moon, director Morgan McLeod’s rendering of a script by Howard Richardson and William Berney, opened on Thursday in the Hugh Wilkinson Studio Theatre. Calli N. (as Barbara Allen) and Jon H. (as John, the “witch-boy”) carry the lead roles and together create a compelling portrayal of young lovers threatened by the separate but equally intolerant cultures from which they come. (Students of Romeo & Juliet should pay particularly close attention to the story.) The leads are supported by strong performances from a large cast, with each and every actor making memorable contributions to an intense dramatic experience. The plot unfolds swiftly in this quickly paced tale and will keep the audience completely entertained. It is a credit to Mr. McLeod’s direction to see the actors employ characterizations both broad and subtle in developing their parts. Of course, the test of any high school production is this: Can the actors inhabit their roles to the degree that an audience of peers, teachers, and parents is transported away from the world of the school and into the world of the story? The answer, in this case, is a resounding yes.

– Jay Connolly

Photos by Stephen Lane