Two Griffins Theatre Unfurls New Twists & Turns In 'Jekyll & Hyde'
a new adaptation of the 1886 novella 'Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' will show at the Grand Theatre in Eau Claire
"The seeds of evil, they hide inside very one of us." Or so opens the upcoming play by Two Griffins Theatre, "Jekyll & Hyde."
"Jekyll & Hyde'' will open at 7:30pm on Oct. 17 at the Grand Theatre (102 W Grand Ave., Eau Claire) with performances continuing on Oct. 18 at 7:30pm and Oct. 19 at 1:30pm.
The play, based on the 1886 novella by Robert Louis Stevenson — Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde — is an original adaptation for the stage written by James and Chris Finn. The inspiration for this adaptation came from one of their actors, Joshua Hammes-Murray, who — following a production of "Long Days Journey Into Night" — expressed his desire to play Mr. Hyde.
"We used the original premise as a launching point to do our own interpretation of the subject matter," James said, who also plays the role of Dr. Jekyll.
As a fan of early gothic horror, the adaptation and its changes were of course interesting to me. But, James was tight-lipped about the changes, clearly to build anticipation.
The play will be a dark, psychological character study with visceral and eerie atmospheres, he teased. On stage, "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde" will depict scenes previously not explored in the novella.
"There will be blood," James added somewhat ominously. "It's certainly not a family-friendly production."
The duo's first production was an adaptation of the 1922 silent film, "Nosferatu."
The "Jekyll & Hyde" production marks seven years of Two Griffins Theatre plays in the Chippewa Valley, which are primarily original works or adaptations. The duo continues to have an interest and knack for producing gothic, Victorian-era productions, with a love for horror.
"I’ve always been a fan of Jekyll & Hyde, both the original novella and the musical," Meg Hammes-Murray, an actor in the upcoming production, said. She plays an unfortunate victim of Dr. Jekyll’s experiments with a serum he produces throughout the show.
James explained that the play does something very narratively different with the serum, which got this horror fan’s attention.
"James has taken the original content and twisted it with even more horror, and unanswered, thought-provoking questions," Meg said.
Two Griffins Theatre Presents: "Jekyll & Hyde" on Oct. 17 at 7:30pm, Oct. 18 at 7:30pm, and Oct. 19 at 1:30pm at the Grand Theatre (102 W Grand Ave.) in Eau Claire. Tickets ($20 for adults, $10 for students) can be purchased at the door on the day of each production. For more information on Two Griffins Theatre, visit their Facebook page online (@TwoGriffinsTheatre).
