By Terry Kate
French Stewart in "Forever Bound"
Photo by Kathy Flynn
There is nothing like the suspense and heightened tension of experiencing the drama of a thriller played out before you in the theatre. That fact was brought home to me by the extraordinary world premiere of Forever Bound, written by Steve Apostolina and directed by Ann Hearn Tobolowsky.
Forever Bound's cast, lead by
French Stewart as quirky book scout Edmund, take the words on a page and breath so much emotion into them the audience is caught up from the first moments. Stewart's performance has an engaging likability that keeps the audience captivated even as morally questionable decisions are made. He takes the story from a set of ethical quandaries to something with heart and soul.
Rob Nagle and Emily Goss
Photo by Kathy Flynn
Emily Goss, who plays the wounded but powerful Rosalind, shines on stage, giving an outstanding performance in a pivotal role.The play walks the line between dark comedy and suspense with plenty of laughs to keep the plot flowing. Edmund's best friend Shep, played by the playwright
Steve Apostolina, earned a majority of the belly laughs with his tough guy booky (since he too hawks used books) attitude and wit. Thomas, played by
Rob Nagle rounds out the cast with a coolly controlled energy that enhances the piece.
Without giving too much away, the general description given of the play is short, "Are we all savages? A rare book dealer's desperate scheme to avoid bankruptcy goes shockingly awry in this darkly funny literary thriller with a surprise twist." So I will not be giving away the twist or too many details. Go see it! You won't be disappointed.
French Stewart and Steve Apostolina
Photo by Kathy Flynn
This production at the Atwater Village Theatre is one more example of the emotionally driven, high quality work you can see there. Forever Bound stands out as a work of emotional intensity that transfers over to the audience. At points it is almost addictingly uncomfortable to be so close to so much intensity in a way a film can rarely reproduce. This is what makes theatre stand out as an art form.
Forever Bound runs through June 16 at the Atwater Village Theatre.