THEATER REVIEW: The Shawshank Redemption

Time is short to catch this first-rate adaptation of the classic Stephen King short story. Make this play a part of your weekend plans.

By Dennis Wemm
THEATER CRITIC
Email Dennis

Adapted for the stage by Dave Johns and Owen O'Neill
Produced by Fredericksburg Theatre Ensemble
Allstate Community Theater
810 Caroline St
Fredericksburg, VA 22401

Playing through September 1st
Tickets $20.00

I was very ambivalent about seeing this play. On one hand, I’m a Stephen King fan. On the other hand, I’ve never actually read “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption.” I have also grown suspicious of adaptations of movie scripts that are adaptations of literature, especially if I intend to review them for The Advance. (Do I review the play, the movie, the cultural phenomenon, or just pretend that the audience has never seen this story before?). 

But, I was powerfully persuaded by what I saw and heard. These folks are good, I mean really, really good.

The story: Andy Dufresne enters Shawshank as a convicted double murderer. We are introduced to him by Red, the local hustle man who can get anything and doesn’t trust anyone (least of all himself). Red is our guide through nineteen years of prison experiences just as he becomes Andy’s mentor and guide. 

Andy’s professional banking skills, his survival skills, and his knowledge are his personal guides. We see him learn lessons through the punishing life of a post WWII prison system. He learns to negotiate from a position of no strength and when not to negotiate, he learns which actions are a third rail that he can’t touch. He also learns never to give anything to anyone that he does not use to his advantage. He survives.

As the play goes on, the smaller roles that provide the background for the play begin to change, until about half of the original prisoners are replaced with new faces, but the core lifers remain. The effect is subtle, one or two at a time, so that you only notice it when you see you have no information at all about the new men. The world changes around the leads, but they remain trapped in Shawshank while Andy and a few others push the boundaries gently, one step at a time, to make their lives different. And then Andy pushes into the Warden’s territory and the Warden pushes back. 

Powerful performances and electrifying moments of sudden violence and deliberate sadism arrive with one wrong word or one wrong glance until gradually Shawshank becomes-well, not livable but better. This is reflected by the wall of cages that defines that world for the early scenes of the play that is replaced by a well-designed library set. Again the change of life is subtle, and it reflects Andy’s determination that human life could be better.

And then it all changes with the arrival of Tommy, who reveals a secret that causes Andy to galvanize himself into action and try to free himself.

Enough plot. You should enjoy the story unfolding while admiring the skill shown by the ensemble of performers. Given a bare stage with furniture and set units forming additional single walls, the cast tells the story of Andy’s quiet rebellion with intensity, energy, and focus. Individual characters rise up to attention out of the mass of blue denim uniforms: Andy (Anthony Williams), and Red (Joel McCormick) of course; John Hollinger in a bravura turn as Brooksie the Librarian; RC Anderson as Warden Stammas. Antagonists include the Sisters, a group of terrorists who are allowed to cow new prisoners into submission, and the guards whom we meet who never seem to be looking in the right direction when the bad stuff happens. Even though the focus is on the main characters, the community that these men form and the ensemble that the cast builds make the environment work. 

Devon Clark’s direction provides a sure and subtle interpretation of the text, and the team he has assembled support the story well. The performance runs like clockwork: a tribute to the work of the Stage Management team and the design and technical staff. 

Fight choreography is simple and intense. The actions time well and work in sync with the sounds to create an intense aria of violence that feels real without gratuity. For all the physical action, I was concerned about the damage to the characters but never the actors. Praise goes to Jonathan Price for the fights and Fox Mealo Cornnell for the intimacy coordination.

Sound provided a timeline for the action through popular music stings, clips, and tags. Atmospheric sounds identify and support scenes emotionally. 

Lighting and sets were clearly coordinated in the action (a sign of a lot of hard work from the entire ensemble of actors, designers, and technical staff in preparation). The opening tableau of cell doors and bare-bulb lights formed a strong contrast to the civilized look of the library in Act II.

The attention to detail in the lighting design provided us with an emotional narrative for each scene. I was very impressed with the lighting for this production in which every scene had some detail telling us how to view the action. Having worked a lot with LED lighting, I was happy to see such attention to color mixing, focus, and use of techniques such as the venetian blinds gobo in the office scenes. I knew exactly where to look and where not to look at all times, and that’s sometimes not easy to do in the extra-wide stage at the Allstate Community Theatre space.

Costumes, by the nature of prison uniforms, are not particularly decorative. There’s a lotta denim on that there stage, which makes it hard to focus on the timeline. Fortunately there is outside contact for the guards (whose uniforms update) and the Warden, who show us what time a scene is taking place. 

The play comes with a lot of warnings: This show contains brief partial nudity, strong language, depictions of gang rape, suicide, and adult other themes. No one under 18 permitted without an adult and no one under 16 will be admitted.

Fredericksburg Theatre Ensemble has pulled off three major feats in a row (As You Like It, POTUS, and Shawshank) that stretch the confines of what community theaters can and should do.  You should go see this performance.  

Dennis Wemm is a retired professor of theatre and communication, having taught and led both departments at Glenville State College for 34 years. In his off time he was president and sometimes Executive Director of the West Virginia Theatre Conference, secretary and president of the Southeastern Theatre Conference, and generally enjoyed a life in theatre.

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