Review: DOCTOR FAUSTUS is Devilishly Good at the Lab Studio Theatre

Would you make a deal with the Devil? Doctor Faustus, written by Christopher Marlowe, is a tragic tale about a scholar who becomes interested in the magical arts and consequently becomes swept up into a deal with Lucifer. The scholar in Marlowe's work is a man, but Brave Spirits Theatre's production of Doctor Faustus makes the lead a woman. Not only is Dr. Faustus, a woman, but the majority of the cast are women as well. What good comes out of this gender switching? Doctor Faustus transforms into a production about how a woman is manipulated by the world around her. With a solid cast, Brave Spirits Theatre's production turns Marlowe's vision on its head and explores it through a feminist lens.

Charlene V. Smith's Doctor Joan Faustus is mesmerizing to watch. She owns the role of Doctor Faustus with ease on stage. With her range, she is able to show the various sides of Doctor Faustus from a God-fearing scholar to a deceptive trickster. Holly Evey's Mephistophilis is a great companion and foil to Smith's Doctor Faustus. While Doctor Faustus is known to be a tragedy, Brave Spirits Theatre's production manages to bring out the quirky comedic side to Marlowe's work. A few comedic highlights include a scene in which Doctor Faustus and Mephistophilis mess around with Pope Adrian (Rachel Hynes) and various scenes involving the antics of Robin (Ian Blackwell Rogers) and Dick (Jack Novak). Perhaps, the best tongue-in-cheek humor comes from the parade of the seven deadly sins (Katie Culligan, Lisa Hill-Corley, Rachel Hynes, Hilary Kelly, and Valerie Adams Rigsbee) mirroring as female stereotypes such as the housewife. The cast often does asides directed at particular audience members and gives props to audience members. This audience interaction adds an extra layer to the production and allows the audience to be able to be brought into this world that they are witnessing in front of them.

Brave Spirits Theatre's production of Doctor Faustus makes use of an in-the-round set-up in a small space. However, the intimacy of the space itself provides ample opportunities for the actors to have direct contact with the audience in ways that won't have been able to be done in a larger space. The set is minimal as are props, but this doesn't deter from the experience. If anything, it opens up room for the imagination and a dash of magic to fill in the blanks.

For those who haven't seen a production of Marlowe's work before, this is a great opportunity to experience his Shakespearean-like dialogue, which can be intimidating if one hasn't experienced a Shakespeare class. Fear not - the cast is able to make the dialogue easy to understand through their actions and emoting.

Brave Spirits Theatre's Doctor Faustus, directed by Paul Reisman, is a devilishly good time for those who are new to Marlowe's work and those who have experienced his plays before.

Running time: About 2 hours and 30 minutes with a 10-minute intermission

Doctor Faustus runs until November 11, 2017 at the Lab Studio Theatre.

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