Can a seemingly angelic child have a dark side?
In this tension-filled production of The Bad Seed, the dynamics of the Penmark family are tested when 10-year-old Rhoda (in a stellar performance by Peyton Kennedy of Weehawken) exhibits a cunning side in a quest for perfection.
The Bad Seed, written by Maxwell Anderson and based on the novel by William March, runs this weekend at the Barrow Mansion.
The drama is part of the 38th season of The Attic Ensemble Theatre Company, Jersey City’s longest running company.
Under the confident direction of Billy Mitchell, this is one of the Attic’s finest plays to date.
A perfect family
The story begins with Col. Kenneth Penmark (played by Brendan Wahlers) saying goodbye to daughter Rhoda and wife Christine (played by Denise Fiore) as he prepares to leave for Washington.
While Christine is noticeably sad to see her husband leave, she is willing distracted by her upstairs neighbor Monica (played by Brett Nichols) and her brother Emory (played by Frank Malvasi). The pair dotes on the well-behaved Rhoda, who “dresses like an old-fashioned girl” with her hair in braids and dresses neat.
Rhoda excels at her schoolwork and is the perfect little lady. It is only when there is mention of a lost penmanship contest that Rhoda’s gentle demeanor breaks when she wails to her mother that it wasn’t fair that her classmate Claude Daigle won the medal. Her mother tells her that these things happen and attempts to restore peace.
A reoccurring dream
Monica and Emory provide a support for Christine, who becomes increasingly emotional after Rhoda’s classmate Claude drowns during a school picnic.
In an attempt to lift her spirits, they come to dinner with a friend, Reginald Tasker (played by Brandon Moore), who begins discussing murder.
When Christine becomes increasingly anxious, Monica steps in with talk of dreams. It is then that Christine reveals that she’s had a reoccurring dream her entire life – one that has her convinced that she was adopted. Monica reassures her that her dream is a common one and says that she shouldn’t believe it.
But Christine has other worries, namely, her daughter’s lack of a reaction to the death of Claude. She calls her father, the famous novelist/reporter Richard Bravo (played by Art Delo) in an attempt to clear her mind.
Shiny things
Peace in the Penmark family doesn’t last long. They are surprised with a visit by Miss Fern (played by Christine Orzepowski), the headmistress at Rhoda’s school.
She tells Christine that they discovered that Rhoda was the last person to see her classmate Claude alive. In addition, Miss Fern wonders if Rhoda has perhaps seen the penmanship medal, which was missing from the boy’s body.
When Christine questions Rhoda, she tells her mother that they were playing a game. It is only later when Christine finds the medal hidden in Rhoda’s drawer that she begins to question her daughter’s version of the truth.
As Christine tries to piece together Rhoda’s story, she also questions her own reoccurring dream of adoption. She wonders, is a darker nature a matter of genetics?
As she becomes increasingly unraveled, she presses her father for the truth. He attempts to reassure her, but fails when she learns the secret that he has been concealing.
Stellar cast
Other actors in the production include: Ron Leir as Mr. Daigle, Noreen Major as Mrs. Daigle, and Daniel Kipler as Leroy.
Fiore in the lead role is particularly good as the distraught mother. Even in quiet moments, emotions flit over her face displaying her thoughts to the audience. Also good are Delo as the father and Nichols as Monica.
Yet, there are strong performances by all the actors in this compelling drama. They have created a moving and realistic drama that simply hums with life.
Even players with minor roles, such as Malvasi as the assured Emory and the broken Mrs. Daigle, do so much with their parts that one feels that their roles are bigger. The play runs through this weekend with performances on Thursday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 14 at 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 15 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 16 at 3 p.m. The Barrow Mansion is located at 83 Wayne St. in Jersey City. For more information, visit: www.atticensemble.org. Comments on this story can be sent to: current@hudsonreporter.com.