An Interesting Turn of Events
The Lyric Opera Theatre's The Turn of the Screw at Arizona State 
University
***** (out of *****)
Mark S.P. Turvin
(w) 965-1021  (h) 894-5443
I can be reached for comment via e-mail at: mspt@asu.edu

	Opera is one of the most misunderstood of the art forms. To 
label something an 'opera' is as bad as saying it's overwrought, 
nearly unintelligible, and more than anything else, boring. If 
there has ever been an opera production in the valley of the sun 
that could dissuade people from that opinion, then ASU's Lyric 
Opera production of The Turn of the Screw is that show.
	Yes, it is highly emotionally charged, and yes, there are 
times when the words (mercifully in English) are difficult to 
understand, but there is not one single moment from the opening 
curtain to the sad, heartbreaking end that can ever be called 
boring. In fact, it's the best theatre this town has seen in quite 
awhile.
	First and foremost, this piece is not for everyone. The late 
English composer, Benjamin Britten, has taken James' turn-of-the-
century ghost story about a newly-hired governess and her two 
young charges battling the evil spirits of the former manservant 
and governess and filled it with the hard-edged truths of blatant 
child abuse and homoerotic philanderings. Mr. Britten, an avowed 
homosexual, wrote the role of Peter Quint, one of the homoerotic 
spirits, for his lover, a true tenor. Beyond that, there are also 
many tense moments that are created by plot, atmosphere and music 
which are harder to bear than any of those silly slasher movies. 
If these issues won't affect your viewing decisions, then this 
opera is a must-see.
	 There is so much right about every aspect of this 
production, directed by Dale Dreyfoos, that it is impossible to 
praise everyone and everything in the way it deserves. The cast, 
with one small exception, sang and acted wonderfully. It was 
difficult to remember that these are, after all, students. Amy Jo 
Arrington, in the role of the young girl Flora, is only in her 
sophomore year. Her performance, though, was top notch, as was 
that of Annette Kahmann, who played the role of her older brother 
Miles, and Dorothy Maddison in the role of The Governess. The two 
ghosts, Chad Millar and Rebecca Sears, were wonderful, singing 
their difficult roles nearly perfectly, and their acting was 
impeccably creepy. 
	The only somewhat disappointing performance came from Juli 
Borst, who played the smaller role of the long-time housekeeper. 
Her voice was not up to the level of the other performers. It was 
not enough to even slightly hinder the evening, though, which was 
made only more perfect by the Musical Direction of William Reber, 
and the very creative Scenic Design of Jerry S. Hooker and the 
Lighting Design by Paul Estes. The imaginative use of scrims and 
doubled set pieces worked on levels that aided every aspect of the 
production. With a simple change of lighting, what seemed to be 
solid red-velvet-wallpapered walls turned transparent to reveal 
haunting action in back rooms, and stone benches used for merry 
picnics were turned to double themselves as eerie grave capstones. 
None of the scenic and lighting design was revolutionary, but even 
the simple lighting and stage tricks worked seamlessly into the 
evening.
	Mr. Dreyfoos imaginary use of doubles to stand in for the 
ghosts and allow the real performers time to enter from another 
area added to the mystical feel of the evening. A shrouded figure 
would move across the back area, then suddenly, the same 
character, though a different actor, appeared near the front 
beside one of their intended victims. This directorial trickery 
allowed the real performers to move in ways that never obscured 
their voices. Robin Coates' sound design aided this technique, 
never allowing the audience to know for sure where the real singer 
was standing. 
	There is so much that has unfortunately been left unsaid 
about this wonderful performance; the fast moving plot and 
haunting colloquies and soliloquies, the unexaggerated acting by 
all on the stage, and the costume and makeup design. Ultimately, 
the best and only thing that a critic can say about this 
production is that simply seeing it will allow you to understand 
just how great it is. Phoenix should deem itself lucky to have 
such a solid opera company in its midst, especially considering 
that the highest ticket price tops out at a meager $11.
 
Production Details:
The Turn of the Screw by Benjamin Britten
based on the novel by Henry James
Arizona State University's Lyric Opera
A.S.U.'s Music Theatre, Tempe
965-3398
November 17th-December 3rd

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