An Inspector Calls a great show

Laureen F. Guenther
Times Contributor

 

An Inspector Calls, a mystery play, opened on Rosebud Theatre’s Opera House stage Sept. 9.
It’s England, 1912. The Titanic has not yet sailed – and sunk. World War I has not yet blurred England’s class distinctions. Those with privilege live in ignorance about those without, confident that God ordained it just that way.
That’s true, at least, for the Birlings, a wealthy, upper-class family, who open the play by congratulating themselves on their daughter’s engagement to the son of a business rival. Father Arthur Birling declares the marriage will pave the way to lower costs and higher prices.
“As long as a father looks after himself and his family, he won’t come to much harm,” he says, and anyone who believes they’re responsible for their fellow human beings is foolish.
Then the maid announces the arrival of a police inspector. A young woman has mysteriously died in the nearby village, the inspector says, and he has some questions for the family.
My companions and I loved how the inspector’s persistent questioning tore down the walls of the Birlings’ self-satisfaction. We loved even more that, just when we thought we had the answers figured out, they all unraveled again. The story left us dangling, making us reflect on its biggest questions: who is our neighbour? What is our responsibility toward that neighbour? And are we fulfilling that responsibility?
Under the direction of Karl H. Sine, this performance includes details of glance, movement, posture and gesture that make the show shine. The use of costumes, light and sound is also fascinating – and just right.
Troy O’Donnell plays Arthur Birling, the self-important yet insecure father, seeking reassurance that he and his family really are everything he believes. Glenda Warkentin plays Sybil Birling, whose motherly love is a thin cover for a cold heart. And Nathan Schmidt is relaxed and casual – and hilarious – as the inspector, when everyone else is full of tension.
Schmidt, Warkentin and O’Donnell are all mature, experienced performers. I expected them to give great performances, and I wasn’t disappointed.
I was, however, surprised and impressed by the calibre of performances from those who are still students.
Meghan Hanet, about to graduate from Rosebud School of the Arts (RSA), plays daughter Sheila Birling. She does such a convincing job of playing a self-centered young woman with a hair-trigger temper, I had to remind myself later that Hanet herself is not that way.
Justin Lanouette, a fourth-year RSA student, does a believable, sympathetic job as Eric Birling, the family’s childish, half-drunk son, and Cassie Garbutt, playing the maid, is in her third year at RSA. Garbutt has few spoken lines, but her expressive performance makes a big impact.
If you want a challenging mystery, intriguing, well-performed characters, unexpected plot twists or a story that makes you ask thoughtful questions, you’ll want to see An Inspector Calls. The show runs until Oct. 29 in Rosebud Theatre. Tickets are available at 1-800-267-7553 and rosebudtheatre.com.