Review: AN INSPECTOR CALLS Shines Under Cate Caplin’s Direction at Theatre 40

J.B. Priestley’s Hitchcockian suspense drama An Inspector Calls centers on the Birling Family - Arthur, Sylvia, Sheila, and Eric - who live in a comfortable home in Brumley, a fictional English industrial city in the north Midlands where Arthur owns a large plant where he employs many locals. The story begins with the family gathering in their drawing room after enjoying a splendid dinner to celebrate their daughter Sheila’s engagement to Gerald Croft.

Soon an unexpected doorbell is answered by the family’s maid Edna, who announces an inspector is calling. Enter a tall and stately woman who identifies herself as Police Inspector Goole who says she is there to ask the family about a young working-class woman in her mid-twenties, Eva Smith, whose recent suicide might be linked to them. During the course questioning, all members of the family are lightly or deeply implicated in the girl’s undoing, including Sheila’s fiancé.

Arthur Birling (David Hunt Stafford) meets The Inspector (Mouchette van Helsdingen). Photo credit: Gabriel Tejeda-Benitez

As questioning proceeds, the seemingly closely knit and friendly family members reveal themselves as selfish, self-centered, greedy, or totally uninterested in those of less social status than they are. Under the inspector’s relentless questioning, the family becomes acid and hateful as they become overwhelmed by their possible guilt in her death. But who is this inspector really and why does her behavior seem so unlike any police officers the family has known?

David Hunt Stafford, Diana Angelina, Isaac W. Jay and Mouchette van Helsdingen.
Photo credit: Gabriel Tejeda-Benitez

Under Cate Caplin’s inventive direction, the ghost of Eva Smith glides in and out of scenes, commenting on truths being revealed without uttering a single word. Thus, the audience is signaled when lies are being told or an important fact about her death is revealed. Portrayed by the lovely Isabella DiBernardino, the added character supplies the glue holding each of the confession scenes together, increasing the flow of scenes immensely into a two-hour, two act play. Arezu Tavakoli takes over the role 12/4-12/14.

Isabella DiBernardino & Isaac W, Jay
Photo credit: Gabriel Tejeda-Benitez

The other working-class character is the Birling’s made Edna, portrayed by Quinn DeVries (also the assistant stage manager) who lets us know her dissatisfaction with what she hears being said by an occasional furtive glance at one of the young men in the room, an eye roll when opinions challenge her reality, and never lets the audience forget that the working class has value in society.

David Hunt Stafford & Monty Renfrow
Photo credit: Gabriel Tejeda-Benitez

Those being questioned include the family patriarch Arthur portrayed by David Hunt Stafford as a rather portentous man proud his business success allows the Birlings to live in upper-middle-class comfort. As an incredibly dominant, arrogant, self-centered, and morally blind man. Stafford takes us along as Arthur’s stubbornness is shown when refusing his responsibility for Eva's death by firing her from his employ for inspiring dissent among his workforce.

Mouchette van Helsdingen & Diana Angelina
Photo credit: Gabriel Tejeda-Benitez

Theatre 40 favorite Diana Angelina portrays the upscale family matriarch Sybil Birling, happy with her wealth and social status as the leader of a charitable organization. She assumes a social and moral superiority over Inspector Goole, whose questioning style she frequently refers to as "impertinent" and "offensive” when it is revealed she shares some responsibility in Eva’s death. More concerned with maintaining the family's reputation, Sybil denies recognizing Eva’s photo shown to her by the Inspector, even though Angelina signals us she really does. But what is the reason only one person at a time is allowed to look Eva’s photo kept in the Inspector’s pocket?

Isaac W. Jay & Katyana Rocker-Cook
Photo credit: Gabriel Tejeda-Benitez

The Birling’s daughter Sheila is portrayed by Katyana Rocket-Cook who begins as a naive and self-centered young woman more concerned and prouder of her engagement ring than anything or anyone else. Once the Inspector’s questions get her to reveal her connection to Eva, Sheila is quick to apologize and promises to behave better when speaking about others of a “lesser” class.

Quinn Ruby Devries, Diana Angelina, Issac W. Jay, Monty Renfrow, Katyana Rocker-Cook, David Hunt Stafford. Photo credit: Gabriel Tejeda-Benitez

Monty Renfrow inhabits the Biling’s hard-drinking and womanizing son Eric who finally admits his culpability in contributing to Eva’s suicide. When asked why he could not confide in his his family before turning to the bottle and “loose” women for comfort, Eric admits he feels unaccepted as he truly is by his family and could not confide in them about his problem with Eva. And you can bet Eva’s ghost has a lot of feelings to share with us during Eric’s questioning.

Issac W. Jay (pictured) portrays Sheila’s handsome fiancé Gerald Croft as the son of another prominent manufacturing family, more socially-elevated than the Birlings. Arthur is worried that a hint of scandal about them could convince Gerald’s parents that he is making a “poor match” in marrying Sheila. Although the Inspector criticizes Gerald’s affair with Eva, which Sheila accepts as the truth since he spent most of last summer away from her, the Inspector notes that Gerald is perhaps the least culpable, and most morally upright, of all the characters. But is he, really? Especially after he disappears immediately after being questioned?

The cast of An Inspector Calls at Theatre 40. Photo credit: Gabriel Tejeda-Benitez

In her fourth production at Theatre 40, Mouchette van Helsdingen leads the action as Inspector Goole, given a “duty” to investigate the suicide of Eva Smith (also known as Daisy Renton). At 6’ tall, van Helsdingen towers over the rest of the cast, giving her the ability to look down on them with disdain, which they all richly deserve. But soon it becomes apparent the Inspector knows the answers, and is there to get the family to admit to various instances of wrongdoing. There is no solid explanation why the Inspector would have come to the house, or how he could have known so much about Eva/Daisy and the Birlings. Like a good mystery, those answers are left up to the audience who will be shocked when a last-minute revelation via a telephone call changes everything.

Directed with pinpoint focus and lots of movement by Cate Caplin (pictured) to keep the play from becoming a typical “talking heads” production, I guarantee An Inspector Calls will keep you captivated until its startling conclusion. Her creative technical team with set design by Jeff G. Rack, sound design by Nick Foran, outstanding upper-class costume design by Michael Mullen, light design by Derrick McDaniel, with hair/wig/make-up design by Judi Lewin add their brilliance to every aspect of the production.

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