Review: THE DA VINCI CODE at Road Less Traveled Theater

 

Those wondering how such an epic story that journeys from country to country and museum to church and everywhere in between could possibly be fit for the stage need not worry.  Robert Langdon’s  journey this time brings him  to the Louvre to meet it’s curator only to find that he  has been murdered and Langdon must aid in solving the murder. Yes, cryptic symbols and  clues are hidden (or often in plain sight but need to be deciphered)  and the curator’s  estranged granddaughter, Sophie Neveu begs Langdon to help her find the murderer.

 

The story is full of plot twists, dark characters, Catholic intrigue and  mysterious religious orders. Brown has done  extensive research to weave the facts of the Knights of the Templar, the Freemasons and the Illuminati and their hold over the Catholic Church into his gripping tale. Sophie's grandfather was the grand master of the Priory of Sion, whose members believed in a blood line of Jesus Christ and knowledge of  the location of the Holy Grail.  Sophie's quest is not only to find her grandfather's killer but also to protect the secret of the Grail's location from entering the hands of the killer. 

 

 

 

Chris Avery as Langdon fits the bill as the uber educated yet socially awkward symbologist. Avery is convincing as his cogs are turning to decipher codes and put the pieces together. He is every bit the seasoned Ivy league college prof with the  grey hair and clad with blazer with elbow patches that one would expect, and Avery embodied the sage brilliant minded man effortlessly.

 

Lissette DeJesus-Wrafter is Sophie, the guilt plagued granddaughter who yearns to find her grandfather’s killer. Her portrayal is full of heartbreak while showing sparks of the insight instilled in her by her grandfather’s teachings. When she and Avery finally get a  quiet scene as a man and woman on a plane, and not sleuths running around the globe, the two actors quietly get to show their inner humanity in a finely acted scene.

 

 

 

David Marciniak shines  as Sir Leigh Teabing, the English expert that Langdon turns to for help in solving  the puzzle of locating the GRAIL. Marciniak is comical and debonair as he commands his scenes with a larger than life presence. His juicy role becomes pivotal to the plot and he  captivates  in morphing into this unexpected plot twisting character.

 

 

 

 

The fine  Set Design by Dyan Burlingame included spectacular Projection Design by Katie Menke and Video by Dwight Barlow. This seamless triad of design was awe inspiringly accurate and morphed venues and perspectives while elucidating works of art and details of symbols in a fantastic visual array. Light Design by John Rickus was finely hued and focused.

 

Costuming by Lise Harty ticked all the boxes from religious garb to street wear to fine robes for Teabing

 

Director David Oliver, assisted by Dwight Barlow,  guides the cast swiftly though the epic nature of the story and paces the action to keep up with the familiar page turning excitement of the novel. Oliver has a good sense for the darkness of the religious underworld, which was evident  and appropriately dark.  The personal life of Leonardo Da Vinci alongside the visual aspects of his art highlighted in real time as the story unfolded made the storytelling more gripping and exciting for the audience 

Alas, the difficulties of the French accent employed by the secondary roles often become a detriment to the production. The inaccuracies and garbled nature of many of the lines begged the question as to why it was necessary to attempt accents at all, as it appeared the performers may have been more convincing without them.