This stylistically unique production adds a layer of significance to the simple story being relayed. With a title that hints at multiple aspects of the plot, SIGNALS OF DISTRESS is a tale of one well-meaning man, and his encounters on a journey to a depressed seaside town.

It is the 1830’s, and folks looking for a better life have decided to emigrate to the N. American continent. One passenger ship becomes grounded near a small English village, and the voyagers quickly overwhelm the one, unnamed inn in the town. It is in the midst of this mess that our unlikely hero, Aymer Smith (Richard Crawford), takes a stand against slavery under the cover of the dark night. Smith’s mores have obvious effect upon all those he encounters in the village. The results are often humorous, but are occasionally violent.

SIGNALS OF DISTRESS is a minimal production that utilizes mime, body language and the light-and-shadows set design to heighten dramatic intensity. There are the usual suspects to contend with: a wenchy woman; some lusty sailors; an ambitious girl; her haggard mother; the newlyweds; the never-weds; and, of course, the man with the dark and devious heart. With relatively fast-paced action, and believable characterizations to grab at the imagination, this spirited adaptation is engrossing from start to finish.

For singing, dancing, mirth, and maybe even murder too, voyage to the past with The Flying Machine and SIGNALS OF DISTRESS.

- Kessa De Santis -

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