by Barbara Smith

A missing pearl necklace, strange noises in the attic, a flickering gaslight. Add to this an unsolved murder and you have a collection of mysterious occurrences in the psychological thriller Deceived, which opened at San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre last week. The play, enjoying its West Coast premiere, is an intriguing re-imagining of the classic 1944 film Gaslight, which was based on an earlier play Gas Light by Patrick Hamilton. Co-adapters Johnna Wright and Patty Jamieson have ingeniously turned a modern lens on the earlier story of female passivity with a meaty script fueled with a healthy dose of edge-of-your-seat drama, and a surprising closing twist that is both satisfying and substantial. San Diego’s own award-winning director Delicia Turner Sonnenberg has once again performed her magic in assembling a smartly diverse and talented cast and then expertly translating the newly energized script into a captivating production.

Set in London in 1901, the play opens in the sitting room of newlyweds Bella and Jack Manningham. An attractive couple, the two engage in sweet romantic banter, but we soon begin to doubt the sincerity of Jack’s affection. Planting seeds of doubt in Bella’s delicate nature, he chides her for misplacing objects, even suggesting she has experienced delusions. And each evening, adding to her vulnerable state, Jack dons his waistcoat, leaving home on purported business. When he is gone, as the gaslight flickers and sounds echo in the attic, Bella begins to doubt her own sanity.

Director Delicia Turner Sonnenberg

The play is artfully staged in-the-round, offering an intimacy that allows the audience to feel a part of the story. Scenic design by Paige Hathaway features elegant furnishings with tea table, credenza, armchairs, chaise, and, notably, a prominently placed gaslit chandelier that flickers at key moments, a haunting suggestion of eerie happenings to come.

The term gaslighting originated from Hamilton’s 1938 play, where the plot focuses on the specific action of dimming gaslights. In today’s parlance, the term “gaslighting” has broadened to encompass various manipulative behaviors aimed at undermining someone’s sense of reality and self. In Deceived, we wonder what is Jack’s underlying motive? Is the dimming gaslight a “delusion” on Bella’s part? This is part of the show’s alluring mystery, and no spoilers here. You’ll have to see the show for answers.

Performances by each of the four characters are commanding. Bella’s character is most fully developed, and Brittany Bellizeare convincingly and triumphantly transforms from the passive, subservient wife to an empowered, confident player in the high-stakes game of survival. Handsome and charmingly romantic when the moment calls for it, Travis Van Winkle’s Jack is a master manipulator, alternately a doting husband albeit deceitfully so, and then accusatory, even threatening (“You’ve lost your senses like your mother,” he entreats) in his plot to convince the once-fragile Bella she is insane.

Lest you think the drama is relentlessly bleak, Maggie Carney (Elizabeth) and Kennedy Tolson (Nancy), as housemaids, provide uproarious comic relief.  Carney’s Maggie, as the no-nonsense head maid in charge, who barks out orders, emitting grunts and groans distastefully when offended, is a delight. Likewise, Tolson’s Nancy, the edgy new member of the household staff, is wonderfully impertinent, complete with eye-rolling and poked out lips when given tasks she clearly thinks are beneath her station.

You don’t have to see the 1944 film classic to appreciate the timely message of the play. But if you do, you’ll gain an added layer of insight as to how far the needle has moved toward woman’s autonomy and independence in today’s society.  “I hope Deceived shows that you can put a woman at the center of a story, and it’s still a great story,” says Johnna Wright, co-adapter of Deceived. Judging from the abundant stomps and cheers at pivotal moments in the play and the rousing applause at the end, Deceived lights the way forward. Deceived runs through September 7. For tickets, visit www.theoldglobe.org.