Cagey Productions

in association with

4Panel Productions

presents

WUTHERING HIGH

www.wutheringhigh.com

By

KAREN GRENKE, CHRISTINA NICOSIA, JONATHAN VAN GIESON, DAVID VINING

Based on EMILY BRONTΛ’s Wuthering Heights

 

Sol Goldman 14th Street Y Theater, 344 E. 14 St., NYC, February 10 through 26, 2005

 

Directed by DAVID VINING

Set Design SUSAN BARRAS

Lighting Design REGAN DODSON

Costume Design XINA

Sound Design DAN NUXOLL

Stage Manager ELIZA JOHNSON

Publicity KAREN GRECO ENTERTAINMENT

 

Cast

Cath Earnshaw – Karen Grenke

Heathcliff – Jonathan Van Gieson

DJ – Andrew Hurley

Lockwood – Tim Shaw

Vice Principal Hindley – John Grace

Hareton Hindley – Dov Weinstein

Nelly – Ginna Hoben

Zillah – Meghan Love

Heather – Rachel Speicher

Edgar Linton – Stephen Blackwell

Izzy Linton – Bryn Boice

Cathy Earnshaw – Christina Nicosia

Principal Ellis – David F. Smith

The names have not been changed to protect either the innocent or the legends of literature, but their situations have been drastically altered, time-warping Emily Brontλ’s Nineteenth Century novel to the New York stage 2005 via a bevy of 1980’s teen flicks. The result is WUTHERING HIGH, a valiant attempt that could use a little fuel and a lot of focus to make it the little novel that could transcend time and medium.

There was no Molly Ringwald clone about, but her filmography was all over the place, with lots of Pretty In Pink, hints of The Breakfast Club and references to Sixteen Candles. There was even a big, group dance number. However, borrowing plot points from successful films and one great novel is no guarantee of a stellar delivery, especially when the final product lacks the polish of the source material. The script of WUTHERING HIGH does not seem to be the problem with this production. The plot unfurls when we move from page to stage, but something gets lost in the delivery, and it happens in more than one arena.

Instead of Molly, we have Catherine. In this version of the tale, she is a quasi-goth girl all too eager to get in with the popular crowd once rich kid Edgar takes notice. Her best friend and unrequited love is, of course, Heathcliff. He, unfortunately, is portrayed a la a very angry Judd Nelson role from one of the aforementioned films without the appropriate sense of irony or even camp to make the channeling successful. Onto the production values, there are issues there too. The set changes come a bit too often and intrusively, and the lighting gave the impression that we were out on the moors for real. The costumes, at least, were appropriate. Overall, problematic, and cumulatively, WUTHERING HIGH does not work.

I will credit the many contributors and actors responsible for WUTHERING HIGH for appearing to genuinely enjoy themselves, and for putting their all into what they are presenting onstage. I just wish I could give them an A for effort, as that would have meant time well spent by all of us.

- Kessa De Santis -

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