***  “It was the best of times, It was the worst of times”! A famous line from Charles Dickens’ ” A Tale of Two Cities”, and now, Shattered Globe Theatre company is presenting a new adaptation of this famous story adapted by Brendan Pelsue , is indeed a new way to look at an old story. Theater Wit is one of our intimate spaces, so what we have is a smaller stage and a closer look at the actors as they bring the story to life. This particular version of the tale is what one might call “immersive” ( in other words, audience participation) which on opening night was quite effective. Directed by Michael Burke on a set designed by  Milo Bue and Eleanor Kahn, the show moves quickly but they had announced 120 minutes with a 10 minute intermission, when in fact, the total time for the play was closer to 2 1/2 hours (150 minutes), so be prepared.

For those who are unfamiliar with the story it is about the gap between rich and poor, democracy, men and women, power, privilege, and politics. While the original story was written over 150 years ago ( think French Revolution), you will find yourself thinking how relative much of this is today. The lighting ((Eric Watkins) and sound (Christopher Kriz) work perfectly with the production and the props by  Ab Rieve worked to perfection. Kriz original music truly added to the overall picture being painted by Peisue and Burke. Since this was a period piece, the costumes were of great importance and Kotryna Hilko did a masterful job.

The cast is composed of 8 actors. There are some people who play more than one role and for newcomers to smaller theater companies, pay close attention as gender rules often get broken. There are characters being played by opposite sexes, but that is not to change the story, it is just that there are only 8 actors, so at times, they must take on other roles. They are easy to follow if you are truly into the story ( and of course, you should be), and this powerful cast makes sue you are.

The 8 actors are as follows: William Anthony Sebastian Rose II, Penelope Walker, Demetra Dee, Daria Harper ( who serves as a storyteller), Jazzma Pryor ( who truly controls the immersion with audience guidance-she is terrific)m Diego Vazquez Gomez, Glenn Obrero,  and the hysterical Jeff Rodriguez, They are funny! They are bright! They exude talent and never lose the characters they are portraying. If you like history, and care about the revolution and what politics can thrust on a nation, this is one to watch.

” A Tale of Two Cities” will continue Thru – May 31st with performances as follows: