The Hunchback of Notre Dame at SART
One of the most ambitious local theater productions in recent memory, Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre’s take on The Hunchback of Notre Dame throws a lot at the proverbial wall — and most of it sticks.
Inspired by Victor Hugo's novel, the musical features a book by Peter Parnell, music by Alan Menken, and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz — and certain stagings have incorporated the source material’s assertion that Quasimodo has become deaf from a lifetime of ringing the titular church’s bells.
J. Ethan Henry points out in the program’s director’s note that he knew he wanted to incorporate ASL and use a deaf actor, and the employment of dual Quasimodo performances by deaf Rey Castillo and hearing Richie Barrella quickly becomes the show’s most fascinating and emotionally rich element.
Hidden in the house of worship by his oppressive master — and, unbeknownst to him, uncle — archdeacon Frollo (William Tyler Ezzell, arguably SART’s most consistently great actor), this incarnation of the deformed man involves interactions between an identically clad and made-up Castillo and Barrella that suggest two sides of one person: how he sees himself and how the world sees him.
How he’s viewed by other characters is somewhat less clear. The rest of the ensemble interacts with both men, and while it’s often ambiguous if they’re communicating with signs or speech, the Castillo/Barrella synchronicity is well-orchestrated and consistently conveys the points at hand. (It’s also easy to get caught watching ASL interpreters Kat Oviatt and Lora O. Nielsen silently act out the scenes, each wielding a surprising level of dramatic depth.)
As Quasimodo deals with the consequences of venturing out to the Festival of Fools and earning the friendship of dancing gypsy Esmerelda (the bubbly Anna Ashburn), The Hunchback of Notre Dame is aided and limited by songs from the Disney animated film, whose overly similar structures quickly become evident, despite big, sustained notes on the finales that allow the gifted vocalists to shine.
The musical also relies on practically the entire cast to tell the story, and, at least on opening night, the sound system failed to meet the performers where they were, resulting in numerous lost lines — and, therefore, lost details. It’s the kind of hiccup one expects to be fixed by the end of opening weekend, but in the moment, it frequently proved frustrating. The choice to have characters describe major action points likewise proves unsuccessful, though is perhaps a downside to the numerous perks that come with the show’s inclusivity.
Smoothing out the wrinkles is the talent onstage — a phenomenal mix of seen and unseen players. Along with Ezzell, Ashburn, and the Castillo/Barrella combo, the small-in-stature Sydney Roberts exudes immense presence as lead gypsy Clopin, while Sage Spiker brings movie-star charisma to Captain Phoebus, Frollo's head guard and Esmerelda’s love interest.
Interestingly enough, the same flawed approach of having the ensemble carry the storytelling load pays off as the side characters move around and off the stage, seamlessly returning in a different costume to keep the narrative in motion. The theatrical sleight of hand further allows such supporting players as Leif Brodersen and Mike Yow to impress attendees via multiple roles.
Complementing the performers is an effective set design by Lance Halliday that basically amounts to a giant stained glass window and a mobile staircase, and though the musical numbers are hit-or-miss, the robed chorus on far stage right serves as a welcome steadying force.
With so much positivity in The Hunchback of Notre Dame's favor, having its characters choose violence at its conclusion feels at odds with its themes of love and acceptance. But cliché catharsis aside, the production has plenty going in its favor and easily warrants area theatergoers’ attention.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame runs through July 10 at Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre at Owen Theatre in Mars Hill. For details and tickets, visit SARTPlays.com.
(Photos by Cheyenne Dancy/SART)
