Review: THE WASP at The Kranzberg

Vengeance and manipulation are at the heart of The Wasp, the latest offering from Albion Theater.  A contemporary thriller by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, this intense drama, presented without intermission, is filled with twists, turns, and psychological angst.

Directed by Robert Ashton, this two-hander centers on Heather, a well-to-do professional, and Carla, a down-on-her-luck pregnant woman looking for financial stability. The two former classmates haven't seen each other since their youth.

Meeting at a cafe, the tensions of their adolescence quickly resurface. Their reunion is awkward. After some clever back-and-forth banter, Heather cuts to the chase by offering Carla a substantial amount of money to kill her husband.

The two agree to meet again at Heather’s posh home to discuss the plan. A palatable sense of uneasiness and mistrust hangs in the air as they meet again.

Heather sheds her wife "trapped in a miserable marriage" facade in favor of a more layered and sinister persona. The situation escalates  when she reminds Carla of her bullying when they were young. Things get even more tense when an apologetic Carla responds that they were both different people then. Adding to the tension is Carla’s troubled past, where she grew up in an abusive home. Both damaged in their formative years, the two women head towards a collision.

A psychological cat-and-mouse game ensues as the lines between victim and perpetrator blur with each scene. The atmosphere darkens as their verbal jousting becomes more vicious and diabolical.  The suspense goes nuclear as a series of plot twists reframe everything the audience perceives.

The play’s intensity is driven by its outstanding actors. Marcia Noorman’s stunning performance as Carla mixes the vulnerable, regretful, and desperate. Ricki Franklin is also great as Heather. She delivers a raging character that is also wounded and scheming. Taken together, these talented women give fantastic performances as troubled characters whose machinations are never altruistic.

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