Reviewed by David Roberts for Theatre Reviews Limited


Dr. Lil's talk radio therapy is the "Last Resort" (the name of her Manhattan WTLK radio show) for many lovesick, bereft, and abused listeners/callers. Lil (Judith Ivey) has saved seventy-nine of her callers' lives through quick thinking and solid (albeit brief) therapy and, when we first meet her, she is in a state of hyper resistence to the idea being pitched that she move her show to television, despite Fox Television's lucrative offer and the insistence of her manager/friend Hack (Peter Bartlett). At the opening of John Pielmeier's new thriller "Voices In The Dark," Hack is dropping Lil off at her (and her husband's) upstate retreat for some respite from counseling and listening. Well, almost a respite. We soon discover that Lil has brought some work along with her (she is taping her radio show from the Adirondack retreat) and she is waiting for the arrival of her husband Bill, the thought of which turns this recovering alcoholic to the gin bottle. Actually, we need to see Lil get a drink so we know where she keeps the glasses (and that is the only hint you'll get from this review). Oh, and there's Damon (think daemon and you'll be on track). Damon's the mysterious caller who first asks for Lil's help in preventing him from killing a woman, then lets her know the woman he is going to kill is (you guessed it) her.

The balance of the two act thriller puts the audience through the paces of "who done it;" rather "who's going to do it." Who's Damon? Will he show up in Lil's Adirondack cabin? Is the mysterious caller someone Lil knows? Why would anyone want to kill this helpful psychotherapist? And why is Lil's husband Bill delayed until Monday? And who is Detective Egan (Zach Grenier – remember those glasses?)? And what's with Owen (Raphael Sbarge) and Blue (John Ahlin)? Why didn't Red show up for his date with Lil? Who's Margaret?

The answers to these and many other questions are answered throughout this skillfully written thriller. "Voices In The Dark" often seems derivative of many of your favorite stage and screen thrillers. It's all here: Alfred Hitchcock, John Carpenter/Debra Hill, Stephen King, Bram Stoker, Ira Levin, and "Dead Man Walking." However, Pielmeier uses these well known and well worn thrillers not in any derivative way, but as a "stage montage" of "teaser plots" which the audience member recognizes, latches on to, then gets caught by surprise when Pielmeier suddenly changes the plot and moves on with his own thriller madness.

And madness it is. As in "Agnes of God," "Voices In The Dark" draws heavily upon the realms of psychiatry and motivation (both plays have psychiatrists as characters) to engage the audience and heighten the dramatic tension. The members of this Broadway cast clearly understand Pielmeier's style and give their characters the authenticity and incredulity needed to make a thriller of "Voices In The Dark's" magnitude work well. Judith Ivey is perfect as the popular radio therapist whose own life is in shambles. Peter Bartlett is Lil's zany and almost broke manager who has one of the play's funniest lines: "I used to have a penis; now I have a credit card." Blue and Owen are both "a little off" and played with precision by John Ahlin and Raphael Sbarge. And Zach Grenier's Detective Egan is the weirdest cop in the precinct.

And this new thriller works very well. Combine a stellar ensemble cast with an exquisite set, lighting design, and costume design and the result is a thriller worth seeing. Christopher Ashley directs this piece with care and skillfully leads the audience through the maze of clues to the ultimate payoff at the play's end.

"Voices In The Dark" ends as it begins, with Dr. Lil doing her best to get someone out of serious trouble. Her first caller is an abused woman whose daughter is about to repeat her mother's lifetime of abuse by a relative. Lil's final client is herself and her life hangs on her ability to "heal" her attacker through words. Or does it? Go see.

Reviewed on Tuesday, August 10, 1999 (Opened on Thursday, August 12, 1999)


"VOICES IN THE DARK"

By John Pielmeier. Directed by Christopher Ashley. Scenic design by David Gallo and Lauren Helpern; costume design by David C. Woolard; lighting design by Donald Holder; sound by T. Richard Fitzgerald; original music by Robert Waldman; fight staging by B. H. Barry; production stage manager, John M. Galo. Presented by Ben Sprecher, William P. Miller, Neil Hirsch and Aaron Levy in association with Mindy Utay and Steven Rappaport at the Longacre Theatre, 220 West 48th Street between Broadway and Eighth Avenue. Schedule through September 5: Monday through Saturday at 8:00 p.m.; Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 2:00 p.m. Starting September 6: Tuesday through Saturday at 8:00 p.m.; Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 2:00 p.m.; Sunday matinees at 3:00 p.m. Tickets at $35.00 - $60.00 can be purchased by calling Telecharge at 212-239-6200 or by clicking on "Purchase Tickets" above.

WITH: Judith Ivey (Lil), John Ahlin (Blue), Peter Bartlett (Hack), Nicole Fonarow (Female Voices), Zach Grenier (Egan), Raphael Sbarge (Owen), Tom Stechschulte Bill), and Lenny Blackburn (Red).

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