Review: 'Shapeshifter' at Trinity Repertory Company

Trinity Rep dips its toe into the sci-fi genre with its world premiere production of Laura Schellhardt’s fantastical tale, Shapeshifter.  To be clear, the tale is fantasy and the production teeters on the edge of sci-fi; without the special effects.  Shapeshifter unfurls as a Scottish fable in which mythical creatures take the shape of beautiful women to mate with men on a remote Scottish island.  The time period is vague, but we gather that Edison’s marvelous inventions are years away from reaching the tiny fishing village.

The play opens with a salty, but lovable, old man spinning a yarn about such creatures with his granddaughter.  Brian McEleney plays the crusty Fierson with an authentic tenderness and warmth.  Brown/Trinity Consortium graduate Miriam Silverman plays the central character Midge, a wounded but open-hearted young woman.  These two actors have a marvelous chemistry that adds significant weight to their roles.

Fierson has been married, more or less happily, to Maud (Anne Scurria) for many years.  Maud is very protective of her surrogate grandchild and her husband.  We gather that tragedy has visited the household; that Midge’s mother met an untimely and mysterious end. Maud is the glue, the engine, that keeps the home together.

Fred Sullivan plays Midge’s father, Mike, the bereaved widower.  The role is sparse but Sullivan’s performance, when allowed to shine, does.

The tale Fierson tells is quickly and unsubtly mirrored by events when a local fisherman, Tom, (Stephen Thorne) rescues a beautiful, but initially mute (of course) woman/shapeshifter from the raging ocean.  Rachael Warren, gives a focused performance in the title role, who accepts the name of Marie, as well as two smaller shapeshifter roles.  Tom falls in love with Marie, by default or by Nordic voodoo, we never learn which.  They marry, Marie bears a child, her mission complete, she returns to the sea.

Joe Wilson, Jr. gives much-needed nuance to the character of  Douglas who, while hunting, shoots, captures and kidnaps his own shapeshifter. This particular creature is less docile and uninterested in staying on the island. A deluded Douglas risks his life for his chance at happiness.

Loy Arcenas has created a  charmingly simple set of the interior of what we imagine is a thatched roof cottage.  The line between indoor and out vanish effortlessly with tiny tidal pools downstage.  Brian J. Lilienthal’s lighting and John Gromada’s sound design merge together and add significant drama to the production.

The production stands, for me, as a perfect example of why live performance can be so powerful.  On the page or on the screen, I cannot imagine being fully engaged with the story. Under the direction of Laura Kepley, these actors are able to flesh out much of the sometimes thin material and make the audience care about, particularly, the character of Midge.  The performances, as exemplified by the cohesion of the ensemble, are first-rate.

Shapeshifter plays at Trinity Rep’s Dowling Theater through May 31st.  Tickets start at $20 and can be purchased at the Box Office, which is located at 201 Washington St., Providence, RI. or by phone at 401-351-4242.  For more information visit www.trinityrep.com.