DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE
Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Directed by Janet Mitchko; set designed by Jennifer B. Madigan; lighting design by Bart Garvey; costume design by Kate Law
With: Peter Crosby, Ken Glickfeld, James Sears, Peter Simon Hilton, Sheila Stasack, and Sandra Blaney
At the Public Theatre in Lewiston, Maine
From October 16 to October 25, 2009 

Like Charles Dickens’s Scrooge, Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are so well known and have become such a part of our vernacular that they have gone beyond the bounds of fictional characters to become archetypes. And for good reason. Both Dickens and Stevenson hit on essential aspects of human nature that seem to remain the same, regardless of which century we find ourselves in. Greed as well as the struggle between the good and evil parts of ourselves are issues we still grapple with, and I expect 100 years from now, humans will continue to grapple with them.  Alas, the darker side of human nature is always with us, and often times it seems to have the upper hand. 

But what if we could subdue it? Separate our dark side from our more noble side? As Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll laments, “It was the curse of mankind that these incongruous fagots were thus bound together that in the agonized womb of consciousness, these polar twins should be continuously struggling. How, then, were they dissociated?” 

How, indeed? Why through drugs, of course. (Better living through chemistry?) Dr. Jekyll has discovered two formulas—one to expel, as it were, his dark side, the aptly named Mr. Hyde, who is always lurking beneath the surface, and another to bring Dr. Jekyll back to himself. Unfortunately, as Dr. Jekyll soon discovers, the cure becomes worse than the disease. When Mr. Hyde is unleashed without Dr. Jekyll’s mitigating influence, what ensues is not pretty—rape, murder, and mutilation are just a few of the activities that Mr. Hyde indulges in and even enjoys. There is no holding back, and that is part of the point. Those “polar twins should be continuously struggling.” Woe to us all when they stop. 

The Public Theatre’s fine production of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde makes this struggle compelling and even riveting. So riveting, in fact, that I was disappointed when intermission came. I didn’t want the action to stop. I wanted the story to continue, to watch the upright Dr. Jekyll, sweetly played by Peter Crosby, try to outwit the brutal but wily Mr. Hyde, acted with great verve and charisma by Peter Simon Hilton. The love interest—the ever-loyal Elizabeth Jelkes, played by the lovely Sandra Blaney—just added more zest to this already overheated story. Like many women, Elizabeth is attracted to the bad boy because let’s face it, they’re pretty exciting. (Think Paul McCartney vs. Mick Jagger, without the mayhem and murder.) Elizabeth is a stand-by-your-man kind of woman, and nothing Mr. Hyde does can drive her away. Reader, she loves him, and, in his own twisted way, he loves her. A chink in the armor of the dark side? 

The supporting cast, playing a variety of roles, including a kind of Greek chorus of multiple Mr. Hydes, was also very good. As always at the Public Theatre, the stage looked terrific. The dark, shadowy set of the backside of London gave the production a nice spooky feel that at times crossed the line to menacing.  

I’m sorry to have to admit I have never read Stevenson’s novella. However, a quick look at Project Guttenberg’s version indicates that Hatcher’s adaptation took quite a few liberties with the original story. Nevertheless, the archetypal struggle between good and evil as well as the notion of the divided self still came through in the adaptation. Many of the details might have been changed, but much of the spirit of the original story was still in the play. Most important, the play has inspired me to read original work, which I plan on doing sometime soon. 

This production comes at a ghoulish time of year. Halloween approaches, and I expect this will encourage many people to come see this play. They will not be disappointed. The play’s boisterous energy and moody set will surely appeal to the Halloween audience. However, this adaptation also has many deeper issues, and it will also give viewers something to discuss over cider and donuts.