Student Review Of The Rimers of Eldritch

From Duke Ellington School of Arts: A town stuck in a dichotomy of old and new - generations and values- reaches a crossroads in "The Rimers of Eldritch", realized in a stirring production by Duke Ellington School of the Arts. The titular Eldritch's residents, facing economic and social decline as they turn from a coal town to a ghost town, wage war on each other's ideologies, their weapons being slander and gossip, and the true victims being those who are deeply ostracized for not conforming to any social standard. After an instigating event which causes those outcasts to be turned on in order to lay the blame, the townspeople's behavior becomes indicative of the insensitiveness which dominates the town's culture. The cast of Duke Ellington's production took on the challenge of a production which eschews a linear narrative so as to slowly expose the cruelties which lie beneath Eldritch's humble facade. Woven into the fabric of "Eldritch"'s plot was Coby Jackson's Skelly Manor, an oft alluded to figure of urban legend in the town. Jackson's authentic portrayal, burgeoned by commited use of physicality and vocal timbre to embody the long-suffering vagabond, served as the moral center of the production around which the at times deeply manipulative other characters pivoted. Equally genuine was Tatiyana Alvarez' Eva Jackson, whose slow development of confidence and eagerness made all the more heartbreaking later developments of the plot.

Nathaniel Miles-Mclean as Robert Conklin and Kathleen Warner as Patsy Johnson spoke volumes through unilateral forms of expression- the former through subtle characterization which laid the groundwork excellently for his actions, and the latter through words which conveyed nothing of the anguished emotions, embroiled in teenage angst and ambition, which were hidden behind her facial expressions. Self-selected as the jury to those character's actions was the congregation of Edricht- led by the passionate Roy Lightfoot as the Preacher/Judge, they sang and danced triumphantly about their moral superiority with vibrant renditions of Christian hymns that stood in juxtaposition to their cruel treatment of each other. Adding to this appraisal were Ira Lindsay and Shane Royster as Martha Truitt and Wilma Atkins, respectively, old women whose role as onlookers was a comedic offset to bitter criticism from other members of society, though no less judgemental. Positioned on various parts of an intricate scaffolding which consisted of the production's set, the actors were often present onstage long after their scene had concluded, continuing to live and react through their characters. The effect was such that the lives of these characters went beyond the scope of the play, deepening their motives in speaking or denying their truths in the story. It was around this concept that students structured their My Truth campaign, a poignant reflection of the productions themes which encourages youths to adhere to their own personal values as opposed to dominant beliefs. Through cohesion and rich artistry, the cast of Duke Ellington's "The Rimers of Eldritch" crafted a production in which a startling mosaic of a small town was created through intricate plot developments and characterization. As if with rime, they conveyed, the town was covered in secrets.

by Lily Perez of Woodrow Wilson Senior High School

Photo Via Duke Ellington School (from left to right: Roy Lightfoot, Mitchell Adams, Zahri Jackson, Katie Warner. Photo by Bryon Perry)