Two centuries after his works first appeared, Charles Dickens is still one heck of a storyteller. Such is the case with Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, a local adaptation of which is being produced by Acacia Theatre.
The book (and the play) are set in the 1800s, when the industrial revolution is beginning to change how the world separates social classes. Vast sums are being raised by industrialists, who use their money and power to become the leading members of society. Of course, this wealth would not be possible without the labor of others (making slave wages) to achieve the industrialists’ goals.
Dickens uses this dichotomy to tell his story, of a young lad who learns that he is to become a “gentleman” through the efforts of an unknown benefactor. Previously, Pip had assumed his future would include running the blacksmith shop run by his brother-in-law. But a number of unbelievable events already have left the poor Pip bewildered. He is summoned to the house of Mrs. Havisham (a Dickens character perhaps more famous than even Pip). The old woman never got over being jilted at the altar. She still wears her old wedding gown almost like a shroud. A cobweb-covered wedding cake is nearby. Pip is instructed to play cards with Estella, Miss Havisham’s adopted daughter, for the old lady’s entertainment.
Pip is also assaulted in a cemetery, where a convict threatens him to kill him unless Pip returns with food and sustenance. Since the very next day is Christmas Day, more bounty than usual can be found around the household. Pip meets all the convict’s requests. Soon afterwards, the convict is caught and returned to prison. Pip forgets about the matter entirely.
With so many seemingly disparate events unfolding within the play’s two hours, it is surprising that adaptor Barbara Fields doesn’t omit some of the lesser characters. In fact, she barely allows the audience to focus on one scene before it’s time for another to begin. Remarkably, the audience is not as confused by the show’s breathless pace as one would think.
As the central character, veteran actor Jonathan Wainwright is a convincing Pip. He turns from a small boy to a young gentleman with seamless grace; although he never seems to lose the inquisitiveness that marks his character. Unfortunately, Wainwright’s relatively brief conversations with Miss Havisham (Mary Atwood) and Estella (Suzie Dueker) don’t fully blossom as they should. Why director Chris Goode has Estella playing her early scenes with her nose literally up in the air seems odd. It’s almost as if he doesn’t trust this talented actor to show her distain or indifference towards Pip without playing her character so broadly.
The show requires a large cast, so few actors can receive individual mention in this review. Some noteworthy actors are Randal T. Anderson as Jaggers, the secret benefactor’s lawyer; Timothy Gotcher as the faithful Joe, Pip’s stalwart brother-in-law; Joe Dolan, the escaped convict who resurfaces at the show’s end; and Ben Parman as Herbert Pocket, Pip’s London roommate and good friend. Pocket is likewise a scholar in the making, and Pip grows quite fond of him. Pip even uses some of his money to secretly arrange a job for him. Without knowing why he has been taken on by a shipping firm, the enthusiastic Parman is nonetheless eager to race home and tell Pip of his opportunity.
In this adaptation, the phases that Pip goes through to gain maturity, wisdom and insight into his own life are neglected in favor of the plot, with its multitude of characters. Still, we can understand Pip’s situation as the recipient of a dose of early luck (much like those of the industrialists). But, unlike these barons of industry, Pip also learns the value of enhancing others’ lives, even at the expense of his own.
