The Heiress
at Wakefield School

Reviewed on April 27, 2019

Mary Lawler
Teen Theatre Company
Submitted for publication to Cappies News

Love is not admiration of someone's attributes, appearance, or achievements. Love is the total gift of one's self for the sake of another, not because of what they can do or how they look, but because they are intrinsically beautiful by their very existence. Without ever experiencing this true love, a human heart may shatter into a million pieces. Through a fervid and stirring rendition, this truth emanated from Wakefield School's production of The Heiress.

The Heiress is a drama based on an 1880 novella by Henry James. Though it premiered on Broadway in 1947 and takes place in mid-19th century New York, its conflicts are still relevant today. The demands of social norms and the complexities of manipulative relationships depicted in the play provoke ponderings on fulfillment, dignity, and truth.

The story begins with a wealthy physician, Dr. Austen Sloper, who is annoyed at his daughter, Catherine, for her social-awkwardness and lack of accomplishment. When a charming bachelor named Morris Townsend enters the picture and sweeps the lonely Catherine off her feet, her father is suspicious of the young man's motives for wanting such a woman. Catherine goes through tumultuous mazes of manipulation and in the end succumbs to using it herself.

Skyler Tolzien played Catherine masterfully, like a flowing piece of music. The symphony of her character had three movements: the first, a withdrawn girl who fails to wear the two-dimensional façade of her society's behaviors; the second, a young woman enraptured and enlivened by being desired; and the third, a decorous spinster who refuses to ever be caught vulnerable again. Tolzien's complex Catherine expressed a myriad of sentiments including her hilarious waffling during small-talk, her candid (and beautiful) personality shared with her aunt Lavinia, and her final iciness toward the world.

Complementing Catherine's intensity, Ethan Rosenfeld convincingly supplied the adoring Morris. He captivated the audience as he captivated Catherine. The passion in his voice, the confidence in his manner, and the persistence in his endeavors created a man of keen and unknown intellect. Catherine's father, Austen, came to life through the performance of Charles McKee, who displayed an insensitive shrewdness as well as an impractical necessity of unattainable ideals. In the end, he indignantly pleads to Catherine in attempt to retrieve her affection.

The culture of Catherine's quiet life, is in part shaped by two aunts, Lavinia and Elizabeth, played by Annabelle Lassiter and Tori Finn respectively. Lassiter and Finn provided distinct personalities, bubbly Lavinia bringing laughs to the audience and strong-minded Elizabeth stood her ground in dialogue with Austen. Another unique performance was by Ella Reidway, who played the household maid with a genuine and delightful dedication.

As if peering through a portal into Catherine's city home, the audience sat before the sturdy set of a drawing room, decked with crystal cups, rosy furniture, working gas lamps, and back-lighted windows. Like the art of the performances, the technicalities of the production were pieces of art themselves. All of Catherine's dresses were handmade by Sophia McMahon. From the stunning red of Catherine's entrance costume to the delicate, white lace of her Paris gown, her detailed costumes reflected her inner strength and beauty. Well-timed sound cues (Sean Miller) and elegant soft lighting technics helped the audience submerge into the conflicted yet cozy ambiance of Catherine's world.

Wakefield School's The Heiress enchanted audiences by its complex character portrayals, fervent passion, and impressive atmosphere. This play moved hearts as Catherine discovered the lack of true love in her life and so failed to recognize her own strength and beauty. As in Catherine, there was strength in beauty in this production.

Julia Tucker
Westfield High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News 2

The hooves of horses clop down a weathered street as they approach a grand home. Hidden within the ornate house is a plain girl, shy and awkward. The people around her see but one agreeable quality: the grand fortune bequeathed to her by her late mother. When an impetuous boy strides through the door he charms the girl and asks for her hand in marriage. That prompts the question: is the boy in love? Or does he desire the key to a massive fortune locked away? Wakefield School paid homage to classic literature in their poised production of The Heiress.

The play's original title was Washington Square when it was first published as a novella by Henry James in 1880. In 1947, Augustus and Ruth Goetz transposed the book into a play and renamed it The Heiress. The Heiress played Broadway for 410 performances in its original run beginning in 1947 and has since been revived multiple times. The play is set in New York in the 1850s and follows the story of a young woman who undertakes a journey of self-discovery after feeling unloved and unwanted her entire life.

The lengthy play demanded that the actors deliver their lines with purpose and account for any hidden undertones in the phrases. The Wakefield School cast mastered their delivery of lines whether they were a lead or a small character like Arthur Townsend (Graeme Mischel). The cast worked through microphone feedback like professionals; they never broke character or acted startled as a result of the noise.

Starring as Catherine Sloper was Skyler Tolzien, who shifted from being awkward and clunky in conversation with people she was familiar with to being fluid and self-assured with every person she conversed with. Tolzein demonstrated this change through her mannerisms and her voice. In the first act, she would wring her hands and brighten and dim her face before responding to a comment. By the second act, all her nervous quirks had vanished as if they had never existed.

Catherine's beloved aunt Lavinia Penniman was portrayed by Annabelle Lassiter. Lassiter used comedy while crafting her character and created depth to her character by reacting to the action and taking a clear side on every conflict presented. Dr. Austin Sloper was played by Charles McKee, who added a flourish to his performance by setting up his sickness in the second act by making a conscious decision to cough and hack the scene before the official diagnosis. Master manipulator Morris Townsend was played by Ethan Rosenfeld. Rosenfeld used over-the-top movements to emphasize his character's "star-crossed-lover" act. The maid Maria, depicted by Ella Reidway, moved with purpose and displayed her character's objectives without needing to speak. Reidway developed her own character while contributing to the main plot line.

The sound designed by Sean Miller featured appropriate sound effects that enhanced the performance by creating the atmosphere in and around the Sloper household. Sophia McMahon conducted extensive research to ensure her costumes were ravishing and appropriate to the time period. The girls' hair was styled by Justice Jones and Brooke Ballhaus. All of the hair braids featured on stage were intricate, unique, and beautiful.

Filled with old-time charm and sophisticated characters, Wakefield School's production of The Heiress implored all who watched to realize their own potential and release the beauty that lives inside them.

Meghan Dreany
Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School
Submitted for publication to Patch.com

Travel back to the 1850's, to Washington Square in New York City, to a lavish home where a seemingly peaceful family resides. Beneath that peaceful facade, familial conflict brews. A young heiress struggles to find her place in society while her father constantly compares her to her deceased mother, holding her to an impossible standard that no one could hope to achieve. Wakefield School brings this story of love and deceit to life in their production of The Heiress by Ruth and Augustus Goetz.

The Heiress is based on a short novel by Henry James. It debuted on Broadway in September of 1947. It has had two revivals since then, the latest in 2012. The number of times this tale has appeared on Broadway is a testament to the beauty and humanity of the show.

Dr. Austin Sloper (Charles McKee) is an agitated and bitter man who wants nothing more than for his daughter to be clever and witty. Catherine (Sklyer Tolzien), is far from the vision her father has for her. That is, until Mr. Morris Townsend (Ethan Rosenfeld) waltzes into her life. He professes his love for her not soon after meeting her, causing her father to question the legitimacy of Morris's feelings towards Catherine. Dr. Sloper forbids the relationship and threatens to disinherit Catherine if she marries Morris, claiming that he is only after her money.

Skyler Tolzien (Catherine Sloper) excelled at bringing Catherine to life on stage. Her refined yet shy posture portrayed a girl who is constantly uncomfortable in social situations. Employing precise diction and vocal inflection that added power to every line Tolzien delivered, her skills and talent shone onstage. From Catherine's nervous tic that developed over the course of the show to her expert embroidery, Skyler created a masterpiece. Starring alongside Skyler was her Aunt Penniman (Annabelle Lassiter). Lassiter's comedic timing and nurturing attitude perfectly balanced out the depressing atmosphere of the Sloper household. She embodied the mother figure that Catherine never had.

Dr. Sloper (Charles McKee) is a reserved old man who knows the true meaning of "tough love." McKee showed the many dimensions of his character through piercing gazes and satirical remarks which landed precisely at the most opportune time. His interactions with Morris Townsend (Ethan Rosenfeld) were accurately uncomfortable, revealing the truth of the relationship between the two characters. Ethan was suave and smooth-tongued, moving with a elegance that could make any girl swoon.

In the background of the hustle and bustle of the Sloper household, Maria (Ella Reidway), the maid, added yet another layer to the conflict raging inside. With every entrance and exit, Reidway was an active player in the scenes, executed numerous prop and set maneuvers without a hitch. She interacted with the lighting on stage, turning on lamps as the lights came up onstage. Overall, the lighting design was superb, operated by Brennan Moores. From the backlit parlor windows to the pink mood lights, they truly transported the audience into the story.

All of Catherine's dresses were designed and made by Sophia McMahon, whose artistic vision and talent were evident in the care which was infused in those dresses. Lace, trimming, delicate details and striking colors added to the character of Catherine Sloper. They were truly a triumph.

Wakefield School Theater's The Heiress suggests that we should never underestimate the value of love, for that is all one may desire in life. It transcends all material goods and brings a fullness of the heart.

Peyton Voorheis
Tuscarora High School
Submitted for publication to Middleburg Eccentric LLC.

As candles are lit on a dark stage, a 19th century New York parlor is revealed, and the poised characters of The Heiress emerge into the gym of the Wakefield School.

Based on the novel Washington Square by Henry James, The Heiress follows a young lady named Catherine Sloper as she comes out of her shell and learns to stand on her own two feet, despite how the men in her life have treated her. Once Catherine realizes her fiancé Morris Townsend is only after her money, she forges ahead, despite the sadness, until his return.

With a tight-knit nine-person cast, the actors show off their character development skills, both through their own choices and their interactions with each other. The actors kept up the reality of the show by making 19th century dialect flow naturally. The realism was aided by their period costumes and detailed hairstyles, and despite a few microphone pops, the actors continued, and ignored them almost effortlessly.

Catherine Sloper was played by Skyler Tolzien, who showed Catherine's change increase in confidence through the major choices of her tone of voice, and interactions with scene partners, as well as through her quirks, some of which go away as she becomes more assertive. Tolzien successfully navigated the stage in a variety of elegant 19th century gowns, that floated around her.

Morris Townsend (Ethan Rosenfeld) tries to deceive multiple characters in the show and succeeds the majority of the time. Rosenfield chose to portray the character as incredibly charming, his personality constantly changing to manipulate others and achieve his goal of wealth. Lavinia Penniman (Annabelle Lassiter) was charmed by Morris right away, and this comedic character did not attempt to conceal it, with Lassiter consistently letting squeals escape her mouth. Despite the simplicity in the character of Maria, the Sloper's maid, Ella Reidway developed a character, and it was visible through facial expressions, and the straightforward lines of this reserved character. Charles McKee played Dr. Austin Sloper and switched between a weak old man to an angered and protective father, as we see shortly after Morris abandons Catherine. McKee convincingly kept up his character's illness throughout the second act.

Catherine is the only character with a variety of costumes, a design choice that allows physical changes to reflect emotional changes. Sophia McMahon handmade Catherine's dresses, which fit the time period as they gracefully floated around Catherine. The make-up designer, Justine Jones, was also responsible for the elegant details used in the ladies' hairstyles. Several hairstyles used minuscule braids, leading into tight buns, along with ornate curls. Brennan Moores operated the lights, perfectly timing cues with the performance, from doorbells to a clock chime.

The lights went down on the performance, and the audience commended the actors on their hard work and dedication with a standing ovation. The students of the Wakefield School worked hard to prepare and perform their production of The Heiress, and it was a smashing success.