Review: This thriller is a must see

Annie Gavin Li in Voices in the Dark
Photo by Erin Leonard

I love a good horror movie. There is something about being scared – the adrenaline, the knowledge that you are completely safe yet still scared, the thrill of not knowing what will come next. These are all reasons that people tend to love being scared. However, a really scary play is hard to come by. It’s difficult, as an audience member, to get involved enough in the story of any play to really allow yourself to be scared. It depends greatly on all of the mood elements that are set within the production – lights, sound, effects, all of these things go to set the mood. And if it isn’t set just right, then it just isn’t scary. Fortunately, for the Denver Victorian Playhouse, they set the mood just right in their new production of Voices in the Dark, now playing through February 20th.

Written by John Pielmeier, the award winning author of Agnes of God, Voices in the Dark revolves around a radio talk show host, Dr. Lil. She has the number one radio talk show in the country, helping people that are struggling with desperation. She talks people off ledges and helps to save lives. Lil, in need of a vacation to try and save her failing marriage, heads to the Adirondacks to meet her husband and enjoy a quiet weekend. Unfortunately, Lil’s husband does not show and she is left alone in the cabin. Strange calls start coming in from a caller that has tracked her down to the remote cabin in the mountains. Lil, alone and in unfamiliar territory, is no longer concerned with saving her marriage, and now has to save her life.

Directed by El Armstrong, Voices in the Dark is a brilliant example of a thriller on stage that truly works. As Lil, Annie Gavin Li manages to keep the tension just right, allowing the audience to buckle in for the ride that is this production. Her performance is to be applauded - the struggle between the calm and rational doctor and the terror of a woman being terrorized while alone in a cabin provides Li with ample opportunity to show off her acting abilities, and she does just that. Twists and turns surprise her at every moment, with the audience screaming and jumping right along with her.

Though Lil is alone in her cabin, she does get the support of some incredibly strong talent on stage. As Owen, Seth Maisel is brilliant. His carefully crafted character is really something to see. Maisel embodies this character with his every movement, adding layers within his performance that created a real and very believable person on stage. As Egan, Wade P. Wood is also very committed and very strong. Audiences know Wood well, and they enjoy seeing him on stage. This is just another example of why Wood is known as the strong actor he is. Both Maisel and Wood created truly dazzling and authentic characters, but also did admirable jobs of supporting Li and creating an ensemble feeling to a production that, if left in less capable hands, would have felt much more one-sided.

This show would not have been the success it was without the amazing talents of their technical crew. The sound design, also by El Armstrong, supported the atmosphere perfectly, while the lighting (Karalyn Star Pytel and Jonathan Scott-McKean) brilliantly created the environment and tension needed. Lastly, the set is quite simply the finest set I’ve seen on the Denver Victorian stage ever. This no-expenses spared set design transported the audience to the remote cabin in the mountains, creating that first step needed in losing themselves within the play.

For any fan of a good thriller or horror movie, this show is a must see. There is something about seeing a thriller live that is unlike any film experience – because you really are there. The tension and mood leap off the stage and impact the audience in a way that no movie ever could. Quite simply, if you like being scared – then immediately go online to the Denver Victorian Playhouse website and order your tickets. And when you get there, strap in for a ride you will not soon forget.

Enjoy this video preview of Voices in the Dark:

For more info: 
Denver Victorian Playhouse presents
Voices in the Dark
by John Pielmeier
Directed by El Armstrong
On the 13th day of Christmas, all hell breaks loose.
Jan 7 – Feb 20
Fri/Sat at 7:30 p.m.; Sun at 2 p.m.
Denver Victorian Playhouse, 4201 Hooker Street in Denver
Tickets are $22
303-433-4343 or online