The Giver at Asheville Community Theatre
Of all the young adult novels that could be brought to the stage, Lois Lowry’s The Giver seems like one of the more unlikely and challenging options. But thanks to Eric Coble’s streamlined adaptation and the imaginative sets, lighting, and projection work under the dedicated direction of Michael Jorizzo, the Newberry Award-winning book comes to vivid life on the Asheville Community Theatre mainstage.
The first question on the minds of those familiar with the dystopian tale, set in the near future where choice has been sacrificed for the sake of peace and order, is how the grayness of its world will be portrayed. The answer is revealed right away through Jill Summers’ simple yet evocative production design and no-fuss costumes by Deborah Austin, which work in tandem to present a lived-in environment devoid of color and, in turn, complex emotions.
Within this well-established setting unfurls the story of 12-year-old Jonas (Sarah Elizabeth Haga) being selected to receive the memories from before her insulated community was formed — a means of preserving the world’s history inside one person while sheltering others from pain. It’s an odd proposition, yet one of many within this sterile, controlled society that, though conceived nearly 30 years ago by Lowry, eerily resembles the reality that many extremists within the U.S. appear to desire.
But all is not lost! As the eponymous memory-holder (Richard Blue) transfers his mental holdings to Jonas, enlightens her on the way things were, and finds her to be a sympathetic ally and friend, color seeps into her existence. Nicki LaRue’s thoughtful colorful projections provide a glimpse into Jonas’ mind as The Giver shares pleasant and painful imagery with her, while blink-and-miss-it lighting design by Dave Bortle offers subtle signs of red and Ren Lorenzen’s considerate prop work gradually brightens up Jonas’ family’s dining room table fruit bowl, one scene at a time.
Speaking of scenes, Summers’ sliding stage allows for the action to shift quickly between Jonas’ family’s dining room table and The Giver’s house, with room for outdoor interactions between Jonas and her friends Asher (Patrick Lennon) and Fiona (Tedi Rollins) along the way.
The steady back-and-forth necessitates heavy lifting by Haga, who laudably flows between the two tonally disparate locales. The Brevard College grad shows her range by tamping down the emotional effects of Jonas’ accumulating knowledge in the company of her assigned mother (Denise Lockett), father (Davey Mills), and sister Lily (Paige Gorczynski), then seconds later exhibiting her true self in the presence of Blue’s Giver, whose sage, Obi-Wan Kenobi-like presence adds immense depth and professionalism to the production.
Haga’s confident high-wire act likely wouldn’t be quite as impressive without The Giver’s intermission-free construction, which pares down Lowry’s prose to offer just enough key moments to get the main points across. The active pace also gives the illusion of seeing more of the community than the cast of eight, while crafty sound design by Adam Cohen expands the perceived number of locations beyond the handful that are actually presented.
Nevertheless, Coble’s faithful interpretation feels a tad truncated, especially at the end. Though true to the source material’s ambiguity, the anticlimactic close and sudden fade to black left the opening night audience unsure if the play was indeed done. Whether that “Oh, it’s over?” feeling is inherent of the play and/or a rare lapse on Jorizzo’s part is unclear, but the palpable uncertainty resulted in less thunderous applause than the performance deserved, suggesting it very well could benefit from its own injection of color — whatever form that might take.
The Giver runs through May 22 at Asheville Community Theatre. For details and tickets, visit ashevilletheatre.org.
(Photo: Studio Misha Photography)
