The ambition behind Richmond Shakespeare’s production of “Lord of the Flies,” currently playing on the Dominion Energy Center’s Gottwald stage, is impressive.
An expansive two-story set, designed by Lindsey Kelley and complete with tropical foliage and tunnels hidden behind rugged netting, places the action in an otherworldly locale even before the show starts. With strobe effects and moody backlighting, the expressive lighting design by Tristan Ketcham asserts itself early on, accentuating a creepy tone as the action begins.
But as far as the action itself, let’s just say that the results aren’t as effective.
Working with a cast of eleven boys and young men, director Jeffrey Cole starts with the significant burden of approximating the escalating sense of violence and chaos so vividly described in William Golding’s classic 1954 novel. This challenge is exacerbated by the need to draw fairly sophisticated performances out of relative novices.
Given the frequent appearance of the book on high school syllabi, many will remember that the story begins with a group of young boys from various schools discovering themselves deserted on an uninhabited island after a plane crash. Tentative efforts to create order devolve quickly as the boys sort themselves into two tribes, one led by Ralph (Tavares Taylor), the other by Jack (Sawyer Williams).
While Ralph focuses on ensuring the boys’ rescue, Jack takes a more nativistic approach, leading his tribe on hunting quests and stoking fears about a dangerous beast lurking on the island. Over three acts, we see the boys gradually losing or discarding elements of their civility and, as their tendency toward savagery rises, tragedy and death follow.
There are a few times when the elements of this production coalesce into truly powerful moments. Anthony Hernandez plays Simon, a more contemplative castaway who Jack relentlessly picks on and who suffers what appears to be a psychotic break. When Simon stumbles across a spot where Jack’s tribe has killed a pig and placed its head on a spike, Hernandez delivers an emotional soliloquy effectively expressing his character’s pain and sense of persecution.
Liam Storm, who plays Piggy, has a similarly gripping moment when he gathers his courage to confront Jack over stealing his glasses, the only tool anyone on the island has to start a fire.
But too often, the pace of this production lags and the dramatic tension dissipates. Some scenes that are supposed to be striking end up being awkwardly stagey. When Jack’s tribe kills the pig, the resulting carcass resembles a super-shaggy stuffed animal (though the detached head is effectively rendered).
The production can’t quite meet the practical demands of the show, like realistically depicting fire or horrifying violence, and the actors sometimes struggle to meet its emotional demands. Williams makes a commanding Jack and you get a sense of a budding dictator from his first appearance on stage. Taylor’s Ralph also starts off believably as Jack’s more rational counterpoint.
But later scenes require a level of intensity from all of the cast members that even seasoned actors would find hard to reach.
A small but charming bit of business involves twin brothers, Sam and Eric (Aiden Denton and Eli Davis), who inexplicably finish each other’s sentences. When delivered rapidly, their lines are funny and almost enchanting, a clear demonstration of the power of pacing.
Overall, however, the production doesn’t share a similarly reliable momentum. In the wait for this “Lord” to arise, patience eventually flies out the window.
“Lord of the Flies” is running at the Libby Gottwald Playhouse, 600 E Grace St. until Nov. 10. Tickets and information available at https://richmondshakespeare.org/.
