A Wrinkle in Time at PlayMakers Rep Is a Worthwhile Family Excursion

PlayMakers Repertory Company's cast for A Wrinkle in Time stars Omolade Wey as middle-schooler Meg Murry (photo by HuthPhoto)

Last Saturday evening, I was surprised that there were more adults than children in the audience for PlayMakers Repertory Company's opening-night performance of Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time, adapted by Tracy Young and directed by Shelley Butler. Although I hadn't read the book, written by Madeleine L'Engle in 1962, I knew that it had won the 1963 Newbery Medal, the 1964 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award, and the 1965 Sequoyah Book Award, and that it was runner-up for the 1964 Hans Christian Andersen Award. So, I expected the play, like the book, was written with young people in mind.

Given its metaphorical construct and how the setting moves across space and time, I wondered whether the book could be successfully transformed into a play. Indeed, Disney's 2018 movie adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time, which relied heavily on computer-generated imagery and cost around $150 million, was one of the biggest box-office bombs of all time.

Ann Arvia, Kathryn Hunter-Williams, and Sanjana Taskar star as Mrs. Who, Mrs. Whatsit, and Mrs. Which (photo by HuthPhoto)

The play's main characters are middle-schooler Meg Murry (Omolade Wey), her extremely intelligent but sheltered younger brother Charles Wallace Murry (Ethan Haberfield), and their popular but unsure friend Calvin O'Keefe (Jamar Jones). In search of the Murry's missing physicist Father (played by Jeffrey Blair Cornell), the children are guided by three magical astral travelers -- Mrs. Whatsit (Kathryn Hunter-Williams), Mrs. Who (Ann Arvia), and Mrs. Which (Sanjana Taskar) -- on an Alice-In-Wonderland-like journey to a planet possessing assimilated evil as well as the man they are looking for. The young characters mature into adolescents as they are exposed to the war between evil and goodness and discover their own spirituality and purpose.

A highlight of the show, Ethan Haberfield moved convincingly between Charles Wallace Murry's genuine childlike but super-intelligent personality and the ever pleasant but unfeeling character that he adopts after being possessed by IT (the darkness). Kathryn Hunter-Williams' and Ann Arvia's portrayals of Mrs. Whatsit and Mrs. Who were also entertaining and surprisingly believable (in the imaginative sense). On the costume front, I was particularly impressed by the kaleidoscope-lit giant piece of crumpled paper that served as Mrs. Whatsit's wings, which were designed by Anne Kennedy.

Jeffrey Blair Cornell and Omolade Wey (right) star as Meg Murry and her Father (photo by HuthPhoto)

Meg's and Charles' twin brothers, played by Anthony August and Khalil LeSaldo, were welcome comic relief for children of all ages, as was Sergio Mauritz Ang's performance of Fortinbras, the Murry's dog. With the puppeteering assistance of Lesaldo and August, Tia James does a magical job representing Aunt Beast, a giant puppet reminiscent of Saxapahaw, NC's famous Paperhand Puppet Intervention. However, given the prevalence and time allotment for the space traveling scenes, I was disappointed by their slow-motion blinking-light renditions and felt that the creative team missed an opportunity to provide a much more interesting and metaphorical experience in this regard.

At the end of the day, some things are just meant to be read rather than performed. Trying to visualize them in real time and in real life is just asking for trouble. After all, if Disney couldn't do it on screen with $150 million, it's unreasonable to expect a local theater company to do it on stage with far fewer resources, even a company as talented and well-reputed as PlayMakers Repertory Company.

The PlayMakers Repertory Company cast for Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time includes AhDream Smith (photo by HuthPhoto)

Despite the play's inevitable challenges, my 11-year-old son said he'd spent two hours in far less enjoyable ways, which is about as close to a compliment as you'll get from him when it comes to a more than 90-minute live performance. If your kids are 5 or older and not afraid of the dark, PlayMakers Rep's performance of A Wrinkle in Time is a worthwhile family excursion, if for no other reason than because it is suitable for children as well as adults. The story underscores the importance of love, imagination, and the victory of good over evil. But, perhaps, most important is the reminder not to be afraid of being afraid -- particularly if you are afraid that it won't be a good play.

From left are Sergio Mauritz Ang, Kathryn Hunter-Williams, Ethan Haberfield, Tia James, and Omolade Wey (photo by HuthPhoto)

Madeleine L'Engle's A WRINKLE IN TIME (In Person at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 5-10 and 12-17), adapted by Tracy Young, directed by Shelley Butler, and starring (in alphabetical order) Jeffrey Blair Cornell as Father, Ethan Haberfield as Charles Wallace Murry, Jamar Jones as Calvin, and Omolade Wey as Meg Murry, plus company members Sergio Mauritz Ang, Ann Arvia, Anthony August, Tia James, Khalil LeSaldo, AhDream Smith, Sanjana Taskar, Adam Valentine, and Kathryn Hunter-Williams (PlayMakers Repertory Company in the Paul Green Theatre in UNC-Chapel Hill's Joan H. Gillings Center for Dramatic Art). TRAILER: . VIDEOS: https://www.youtube.com/user/PlayMakersRep1. 2021-22 SEASON: https://playmakersrep.org/season/2021-2022/. THE PRESENTER: https://playmakersrep.org/, https://www.facebook.com/playmakersrep, https://www.instagram.com/playmakersrep/, https://twitter.com/playmakersrep, and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO7crv41zzCYf9HxRDUEVdw. PRC BLOG: https://playmakersrep.org/about-us/our-blog/. THE VENUE: https://playmakersrep.org/about-us/paul-green-theatre/. DIRECTIONS/PARKING: https://playmakersrep.org/visitor-info/directions-and-parking/. CAROLINA TOGETHER COVID-19 PAGE: https://carolinatogether.unc.edu/. NOTE 1: The April 6th and April 12th shows will be socially distanced performances. NOTE 2: Arts Access, Inc. of Raleigh will audio-describe and sign-language interpret the show's 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 5th, performance. NOTE 3: The 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 9th, show will be a sensory-friendly performance, adapted for theatergoers with autism or other sensory sensitivities. NOTE 4: The 2 p.m. Sunday, April 10th, show will be an open-captioned performance, with a "universal-access" live-caption unit, communicating dialog, stage directions, and sound effects. TICKETS: $20 and up ($10 students and youth), plus taxes and fees. Click here to buy tickets. INFORMATION: 919-962-7529 or prcboxoffice@unc.edu. PLEASE DONATE TO: PlayMakers Repertory Company.

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