DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE Comes to Carpenter Square Theatre

Carpenter Square Theatre takes to the shadowy streets of Victorian London when it presents "DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE" February 15-March 9.

Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," it's a fast-paced, unique take on the classic tale of depravity, lust, love, and horror that is peppered with humor. All performances are at the theater, located at 800 W. Main in downtown Oklahoma City.

In his laboratory on a back alley in London, Dr. Henry Jekyll's experiments with exotic "powders and tinctures" have brought forth his other self-Edward Hyde, a villain free to commit the sins Jekyll is too civilized to commit or comprehend. When Hyde meets Elizabeth, a fiery-spirited woman who stirs his interest, Jekyll fears for her life and decides to end his experiments. But Mr. Hyde has other ideas, and so the two sides battle each other in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse. In a unique twist, audiences will see five different actors onstage as Hyde - sometimes individually and sometimes all five become a growling, snickering, threatening chorus of alter egos to Dr. Jekyll. Also, most of the actors portray multiple characters, and some even play characters of the opposite sex.

In conjunction with the play, the theater's lobby gallery will host a group show with the artwork of Daniel Acuna, Nicole Emmons, and Albert Bostick. The artwork may be viewed starting one hour before each performance or by appointment Tuesday-Friday afternoons.

Specific performance dates and times over four weeks are: 8 p.m. February 15-16, 8 p.m. February 22-23, 7:30 p.m. February 28, 8 p.m. March 1-2, 2 p.m. Sunday, March 3, and it continues at 7:30 p.m. March 7, and 8 p.m. March 8-9. The play is rated PG-13.

In addition to the regular performances, Carpenter Square will hold two 10 a.m. matinees for high school students on February 28 and March 8 as part of the theater's educational outreach to area at-risk students. Workshops at participating schools are also part of the programming.