Compassion and Generosity, a Perfect Play for the Holidays

When Irish playwright Dion Boucicault wrote The Poor of London in 1856, it was during a recession. Many otherwise respectable people were without money, jobs, or homes. His play was a call for courage and compassion. In 1857 he brought the play, still timely and newly titled The Poor of New York, to the city of that name where it enjoyed a run of six weeks — a hit for its day. Then, taking advantage of the nation’s new system of rail transportation, he brought the show on the road, and changed the title and the setting to suit each city it visited. But in 1858, Scranton was barely a glimmer in a developer’s eye, so The Northeast Theatre is making up for lost time; The Poor of Scranton finally plays Scranton, a mere 148 years late; Performance Space at the Jermyn, November 16 - December 10. The production features, as did the original, a generous variety of music, a large cast, and high adventure.

The play, epic in scope, revolves around several interrelated stories. The first is that of a banker without scruples, Gideon Bloodgood, and his socially ambitious daughter Alida. The second involves the family of Captain Fairweather who was robbed of his fortune by the banker. The third, around the self-created hardships of the formerly wealthy man-about-town Mark Livingstone, who loves Fairweather’s daughter, Lucy. Then there is Badger, the goodhearted rouge who knows too much, and the Puffy’s — bakers fallen on hard times — whose generosity drives the action of the play.

All the stories are woven together by the exciting theatrical device, rich language, and elegant plotting that made Boucicault famous. And because the play is a melo-drama (that is, a drama enhanced by the frequent use of music) TNT’s production features songs from the period, sung by the cast and played by cellist Joan Daniels. Add to this, dozens of costumes from the turn of the last century, images of Scranton, and a story that dances briskly through a maze of twists and turns, and you have one exhilarating evening of theatre.

But the heart of the play is, well . . . its heart, and to understand what is meant by this you simply have to see it.

Dublin-born playwright Dion Boucicault wrote for the London and New York stage between 1838 and 1886. He authored as many as 135 plays. He was also instrumental in the development of the commercial system with its components (still common) of the out-of-town tryout, the New York run, and the national tour. He was also one of the founders of The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, the oldest acting school in the English speaking world. The Poor of Scranton is an adaptation of Boucicault’s play, The Poor of New York, by Scranton writer and historian, John Beck.

The cast of The Poor of Scranton includes New York actors Maura Malloy, David Berent, and David Walters, Pittsburgh actress Barbara Blackledge, and area actors Colleen Davis, Emily Ehlinger, Christopher Estavez, Elizabeth Feller, James Langon, Conor McGuigan, Michaela Moore, William Moore, Mike Robertson, James Sanderson, and Adam Walker-Serrano.

Sets are by Jonathan Strayer, lights by James Langan, and costumes by Rachael Miller. Music is compiled by Tasha Williams, directed by Dolores Dominick-Noll, arranged by Elizabeth Feller, played by cellist Joan Daniels, and sung by the cast. The production is directed by David Zarko.

The Poor of Scranton opens November 16 (actually November 15, but that performance is sold out) and plays Thursdays at 7 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 3 p.m., through December 10, with a special Thanksgiving week schedule (no show on Thursday; Friday and Saturday at 8, Saturday and Sunday at 3, and Sunday at 7:30). Performances on November 16 and 30 are “Cheaper than a Movie Thursdays” when all tickets are $5. Other performances are at regular ticket prices: $20 general, $15 for seniors 60 and over, and $5 for students 25 and under. Tickets may be purchased at the box office Wednesday through Saturday 3:00 p.m. until curtain, by phone at 570-558-1515, or online at www.thenortheasttheatre.us