Edwin: The Story of Edwin Booth

Edwin: The Story of Edwin Booth

Great Circle Productions

Theatre at Saint Clement’s

September 10, 2016

Photo courtesy of Great Circle Productions

Great Circle Productions presents Edwin: The Story of Edwin Booth for a limited Off-Broadway run at the Theatre at Saint Clement’s.  It is a musical with a very dark score by Marianna Rosett.  The book and lyrics by Eric Swanson weave a grim tale of the fall of a family due to egotism, alcohol, and a historic act of significant magnitude.    

The play takes place on January 3, 1866 in New York City.  Edwin Booth is returning to the Winter Garden Theatre in the role of Hamlet after a long absence from the stage following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln by his brother, John Wilkes Booth.  He is haunted by the ghosts of his father, brother, and wife as he prepares for his performance.  The action moves back in time as the facts of this family’s notoriety are exposed.  The characters play out scenes from Shakespeare, which clearly illustrate the heightened tragedy embedded in their family relationships.

Dana Watkins & Paul DeBoy
Photo courtesy of Great Circle Production

Dana Watkins is strong as Edwin.  His smooth transitions in time and location are clear and keep the action of the play connected.  He easily moves from Shakespeare scenes into Edwin’s present emotional state, then into song, creating emotional truths in each moment.  The scenes between Edwin and his father, Junius Booth (played by Paul DeBoy), are wonderfully written and directed.  Mr. DeBoy plays an overbearing egotist who teaches his son the skills he needs to become one of the greatest actors of his time.  Their relationship grows and builds with clear flaws and cracks that bring their downfall just a few years later.  Todd Lawson portrays John Wilkes Booth with a seething unrest that incites attention and builds conflict.  His stage presence is powerful and riveting.  Ben Mayne is charming as Rob, who is hired as a bodyguard and dresser to Edwin for the Winter Garden performance.  Rob often quotes his father to cheer up Edwin.  The twist in the ending scene when the identity of Rob’s father is revealed, whether historically true or not, adds a layer of depth to the plot and beautifully ties up the theme.

Todd Lawson & Dana Watkins
Photo courtesy of Great Circle Productions

The telling of this story through the ghosts and hauntings of the past is a brilliant concept.  The play is strongly constructed. Director Christopher Scott skillfully brings this accomplished cast of seven to the point of creating realistic characters and honest relationships.  The production, however, feels weighted down and the conflicts do not resolve.  In this play, as in real life, Edwin’s challenges and accomplishments are overshadowed by his brother’s action.  Edwin runs at the Theatre at St. Clement’s on 46^th Street through September 18.

Domenick Danza