This fall, Tom Mattingly’s Jekyll & Hyde will captivate audiences through a story of good and evil. Inspired by the classic gothic novella by Robert Louis Stevenson, this world premiere will tell the cautionary tale of leaning too far into our darker side, for fear we might never return.
Friday, October 27, 7 PM
Saturday, October 28, 2 PM & 7 PM
Sunday, October 29, 2 PM
Total Run Time: 1 hr 5 minutes
Intermission(s) & length: 15 minutes
Due to the nature of the storyline which includes simulated violence and unwanted romantic advances, there is a suggested audience age of 12+.
Choreography: Tom Mattingly
Music: Henryck Gorecki, Henri Dutilleux, Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy, JS Bach
Scenic Design: Nicholas Amundson
Production Manager: Felix Campbell
Rehearsal Director: Tom Mattingly
Costume Design: Sarah Dornink
Lighting Design: Jackson Newhouse
JEKYLL & HYDE SYNOPSIS
ACT 1
Henry Jekyll, a good but troubled man, laments his thoughts of violence, jealousy, and lust before realizing he’s late for a party. Once he arrives in the great hall, he is greeted by his wife Sarah. As the two dance a romantic pas de deux, their friends admire the obvious affection for each other. Later, Henry’s eyes meet a beautiful young woman. The room slows to a standstill as Henry imagines the two dancing a flirtatious and lustful duet. The room comes back to life as Henry snaps out of the fantasy. He is overcome with feelings of shame and embarrassment and quietly slips away from the crowd.
As the group moves outdoors to the square, they encounter a Snake Oil Salesman. Posing as a traveling doctor, the man peddles potions that claim to eliminate impulses of violence and lust. He is aided by two decoy accomplices that pretend to consume the potions and be cleansed of their impurities. Henry is compelled to purchase both potions so he may combine the liquids in an effort to eliminate his dark thoughts.
Once alone in his study, Henry nervously mixes and consumes the mysterious potions. At first, he feels nothing. But soon, he endures a painful physical transformation into an entirely new person: Edward Hyde. Disoriented at first, Hyde soon revels in the feeling of freedom given by his new state. After sneaking past Sarah, Hyde slinks out of the Jekyll home to roam the streets of London. After a short walk, Hyde spots his first victim: the woman Henry lusted for earlier in the day. He manages to separate the woman from her friend and attempts to seduce her. She is disgusted by the man and manages to fend him off until her friend and fiancé return. Hyde sarcastically apologizes to the couple and manages to steal the fiancé’s elegant cane. Now free to stalk the night, Hyde wanders the streets of London looking for more opportunities to unleash his malice.
ACT 2
Sarah waits in the Jekyll home for days without any word from her husband. When Henry does arrive, Sarah confronts him about his unexplained absence. She is taken aback when she notices his disheveled and possibly injured state. Feeling pity for her husband, Sarah guides Henry to his study to rest. He feels immense shame for the acts he committed as Edward Hyde and orders Sarah to leave the room. In the coming days, Sarah, Gabriel Utterson, and Hattie Lanyon attempt to coax Henry out of isolation. Their efforts are unsuccessful and Henry’s shame slowly morphs into a desire to release his impulses as Hyde once again. Temptation proves too much for Henry and he consumes the mixture of potions for a second time. As Hyde once again, he again stalks the night and comes upon the fiancé of his earlier victim. Hyde manages to corner the man in an alleyway and beats him to death with the cane he had stolen several nights before. Hyde ceremoniously returns the cane to the dead man, but steals his knife as a new souvenir.
Hyde feels satisfied with the murder and returns to the Jekyll home to transform back into Henry. As Henry enters the house, Sarah confronts him once again. This time she doesn’t relent, demanding answers from her husband. With a devilish looks in his eye, Henry pulls Sarah into the study. He presents Sarah with the stolen knife and consumes the two potions in front of her. Sarah watches in horror as her loving husband transforms into the evil Edward Hyde. Every attempt for Sarah to escape Hyde’s grasp is thwarted. Soon, Hyde corners Sarah and tries to force her to drink the potions and join him on the dark side. Sarah has no choice but to defend herself and stabs Hyde with the stolen knife. Sarah stumbles back into the living room, visibly shaken by the experience. As the life leaves his body, Hyde makes the final transformation back to Henry Jekyll. Henry collapses to the floor and Sarah weeps over his lifeless body.
