Under Milk Wood begins in darkness. The sonorous voice of Jeremy Webb calls the audience into the dreams of a sleeping village with Dylan Thomas's playful, soulful, saturated poetry. This "play for words" encompasses an entire day in the life of the village folk, who dream and gossip and lust and love. Susan Stackhouse and Webb give masterful performances, playing over 30 characters between them and delineating each with mercurial changes in voice, accent and demeanor. While the language is so evocative that it would be possible to enjoy this work with eyes closed, there is much to enjoy visually, from the simple, subtle lighting to the delightful way physical spaces are conjured from the tilt of a head or the curve of a body. This play is a treat for the eyes, the ears and dare I say, the heart.
To March 30, Park Place Theatre, bottom parking lot of Point Pleasant Park, 8pm; Sun March 24, 2pm, $20/$15 (seniors, students, artists)
