A rave review in the Evening Sun

Here:

Living up to “Great Expectations” By Jeff Genung

I told myself I’d avoid the obvious pun when I wrote this review, but I know that’s impossible. Driving up to Sherburne Wednesday night, I had “Great Expectations” of what I’d see Colleen Law-Tefft’s drama club students do on stage. There, that’s out of the way. Honestly though, I didn’t quite know what to expect. I’d been wowed by the troupe last fall at their night of one-act plays, but this was, after all, Charles Dickens. Not exactly feel-good fare, or an easy sell to the masses. But a daring choice, nonetheless. Especially considering that, as Colleen noted, most of the kids involved had never read the Dickens classic. It’s been a couple decades since I’d read it myself, but I did manage to catch the updated Gwyneth Paltrow-Ethan Hawke-Anne Bancroft version a few years back. For the uninitiated, “Great Expectations” tells the mid-19th century England story of the orphaned Pip, who goes to live with his sister and her blacksmith husband in abject poverty. The wealthy and demented Miss Havisham takes a liking to Pip as a playmate for her young ward Estella and a plaything for herself. While Pip is kept just out of arm’s reach in their entitled world, he eventually comes into wealth of his own through a mysterious benefactor and tries to gain Estella’s love and acceptance. Dickens’ story here is a forerunner of a modern-day soap opera; there are enough bizarre coincidences, secret pasts and Byzantine turns to keep any follower of “The Young & the Restless” entertained throughout. Senior Luke Murphy is one hard-working kid. As Pip, he’s in, or commenting on, every single scene throughout the play. I can’t imagine how he memorized that boatload of dialogue, but he manages to keep Pip engaging from beginning to end. I had to check the program to see if the boy who plays Young Pip wasn’t Luke’s brother; they’re matched that well. He’s not - Tyler Rundell tackles the junior role with gusto. Lauren Mettler’s got a tough job as the almost robotic Estella, but she manages to imbue her role with a hint of vulnerability - a feat in itself in a part that doesn’t garner much sympathy from the audience until the very end. It’s easy to see why Pip is drawn to her. Miss Havisham could be a one-note villainness - but Bonnie von Mechow’s magnetic stage presence makes you want to know more about how she came to be as twisted and evil as she is. Holding court in her decrepit mansion, Bonnie’s scenes drive the action of the play and actually make you feel sorry for the old goat by the time she ... well, I won’t give everything away. “Great Expectations” is filled with rich character parts, too numerous to mention here. Everyone in S-E’s cast acts their hearts out, but I was particularly impressed by Alex Erath’s put-upon Biddy, Joe Mettler’s stalwart Joe, and Jake von Mechow’s all-business Jagger. Of the major characters in Pip’s life though, Adrian Enscoe stands out as his London buddy, Herbert. I always write here of that rare “fearless” quality in a high school thesp that commands attention on stage, and young Mr. Enscoe has it in droves. There are no small parts, of course, only small actors. “Great Expectations” has none of the latter. Though their roles don’t get a lot of stage time, Alison Bensley and Ellen Fagan really pop in their parts. It’s always fun to see a background character who refuses to blend into the background, and these girls really stand out. This being only the second show I’ve seen at S-E, I’m not as familiar with some of the young thespians as I am those in Norwich, but I was nonetheless impressed by their talent and professionalism throughout. The dress rehearsal I attended earlier this week certainly had its rough spots and awkward pauses, but as Colleen said to me that night, the “theater gods” always have a way of magically bringing everything together in time for opening night. Given the energy and talent I saw in raw form, I have no doubt that miracle will occur again tonight. “Great Expectations” plays on the Sherburne-Earlville High School auditorium stage tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $6 and will be available at the door.