The Legacy of Amelia Aldean at The Magnetic Theatre

The Magnetic Theatre world premiere of The Legacy of Amelia Aldean, by playwright Laurie Jones, is a work that should be required viewing for authors due to its exploration of literary themes like writer’s block, “selling out,” and the question of what it means to be inspired.

But non-scribblers will also have plenty to latch onto with this production, including the interesting ways that it plays with time travel and the important commentary on the complicated legacy of female artists.

The Legacy of Amelia Aldean is really two stories, both of which take place in an apartment in Charleston, South Carolina, one in 2019 and one in 1916. In the contemporary narrative, James (Shane Dinan), a writer whose career peaked at age 18 with the publishing of a single acclaimed novel, moves into the old apartment of his literary hero, a Virginia Woolf-esque author named Amelia Aldean (Carin Metzger).

In a desperate bid for inspiration, James utters an incantation to let Amelia “invade his life.” Sure enough, he promptly begins to see and hear her ghost wandering around the apartment, living her life just as it was a century ago.

James and Amelia’s interaction is not so much a haunted house story as a living, breathing flashback (although initially there are some standard haunting tropes, such as doors slamming and eerie noises). In addition to Amelia, we also meet Katy (Stephanie Nusbaum), Amelia’s friend and fellow suffragette, as well as Mark (Miles Rice), Amelia’s married lover.

As soon as the veil between 2019 and 1916 is pierced, it becomes quickly apparent that Aldean’s life is a veritable post-Edwardian soap opera. In addition to carrying on an affair with the married Mark, Amelia reveals she is the illegitimate daughter of a U.S. senator. She also struggles with some very modern mental health issues, which would only be diagnosed decades later. In short, the old story quickly eclipses the modern one as the more interesting tale, and for the rest of the play we are mostly in Amelia’s world, not James’.

Although James can see and hear Amelia, she cannot perceive James, except when he touches her or shouts. But their lives become increasingly intertwined, and eventually James must decide whether or not to intervene in the past, potentially changing the present.

Against the backdrop of a marvelous set by scenic designer Tyler Johnson, Amelia Aldean is at its best when it plays with the quirky implications of two lifetimes colliding — for example, when James walks in on ghost Amelia and ghost Mark making love, or when James’ touch prompts a scream from Amelia that has consequences in her own time.

There are parts of the story that seem a little underdeveloped. I would have liked to know more, for example, about Amelia’s relationship with her senator father. The beginning of the show drags a bit, and the ending is a little confusing — though still pretty entertaining. Nevertheless, director and Magnetic Theatre Artistic Director Katie Jones keeps the show moving at a brisk pace, and I was engaged throughout the whole two-hour run time.

A few performances really stand out and animate this play. As Amelian Aldean, Metzger shines as a cross between Emily Dickinson and Blanche DuBois. Portraying a character who’s brilliant, mercurial, and depressed, Metzger conveys the melodramatic life of Aldean without slipping into overacting herself.

Another huge asset to the show is Maximilian Koger, who plays Neil, James’ fiancee. Neil is in many ways the opposite of James; also a writer, he is prolific and commercially successful (as an author of ghost stories). Koger makes strong, expressive choices and lights up the stage whenever he appears. In fact, it is sometimes difficult to imagine why the vivacious Neil is engaged to the mopey and irritable James.

Ultimately, The Legacy of Amelia Aldean is an engaging story that raises thoughtful questions about history and literature against the backdrop of a fun (and funny!) ghost story. The Magnetic Theatre should be applauded for continually bringing new and interesting plays to our part of the mountains. This piece is no exception.

The Legacy of Amelia Aldean runs through October 20 at The Magnetic Theatre. For details and tickets, visit themagnetictheatre.com.