Canadian playwright Sharon Pollock cleverly creates a play
within a play to explore the motivations and actions of the notorious Massachusetts
1892 axe murderess Lizzie Borden.
As a true crime aficionado, I have no doubt
that she killed her hated stepmother with 19 blows then, barely an hour later, her
father with 11 blows. Still, by using this oblique device, Pollock walks us
through the day’s events with a plausible explanation, both emotionally and
psychologically, for what motivated Lizzie. Apparently it came down to money,
as with many other famous crimes, but in this intriguing play the personal dynamic
of the family is laid bare and we see the deeper forces at work.
The actors superbly reveal the crazed dynamic of a family seething
with unspoken contempt but it is Lizzie, crazy Lizzie, a bad seed in a polluted
garden, who acts out the undercurrents. It is well known that she despised her
stepmother but, in this telling, the revelation of her true feelings for her
father brings a sad but plausible end to the story.
The excellent cast are: Carolyn Crotty as an enigmatic Lizzie
and also the Irish maid; Meg Wallace as an actress brilliantly “performing”
Lizzie; Hap Lawrence as the beleaguered father; Deborah Cresswell as the devious
stepmother; Amy Moorman as the timid older sister; Steve Peterson as the greedy
brother-in-law; Jay Disney as a flirtatious local doctor, and Steve Jarrard as Lizzie’s
adroit defense attorney.
Subtly directed by Jarrard, who also designed the
simple set, with lighting by Jason Ryan Lovett, and lovely costumes by Meg Wallace. Photos by Mani Horn.
Produced by Collaborative Artists Ensemble. At Raven
Playhouse, 5233 Lankershim Blvd. NoHo, through June 15. Tickets at 323-860-6569 or www.plays411.com/bloodrelations.
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