Pittsburgh Magazine – Two very different on-stage fantasies, “The Hobbit” and “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,” lead us into the weekend.
“The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari”: There’s another theatrical fantasy running at the moment, though Quantum Theatre has opted for a somewhat darker (yet no less imaginative) tale. “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,” Jay Ball’s new adaptation of the landmark 1920 film, concerns a sinister doctor and his brainwashed (or undead?) servant. That ghoul is billed as a “somnambulist” who predicts fortunes at the fair; he also handles his master’s dirty work when the crowds head home. It’s a play of big ideas, working in a half-century of European politics and social movements; this “Caligari” is as concerned with capitalism and war as it is with thrills and chills. There are frights ahead, to be sure, thanks to smart staging of the monster’s inaugural appearance; there’s also room for some comic relief, thanks to projected videos skewering outdated (but, somehow, still relevant) attitudes and beliefs. Quantum is opening the doors to a rarely seen corner of Downtown for this production, leading audiences to the auditorium on the 10th floor of the Union Trust building; a visit to the dramatic locale (and the vertiginous view of the building below en route to the stage) is worth the price of admission. So, too, is an excellent cast, particularly local favorite Daniel Krell as the steely doctor. “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” continues through Nov. 24.
