In the Sacramento Opera's deeply engaging and highly provocative production of Benjamin Britten's "The Turn of the Screw," sexual awakening is the dramatic fuse that sets the drama on fire.
Delivering on Britten's darkly elegant music while making its characters believable amid the taint of the supernatural is no easy endeavor. But on Friday evening at the Community Center Theater, this production hit the mark.
As adapted from Henry James' novella, Britten's music and Myfanwy Piper's brilliant libretto bloom when given a strong cast and taut direction.
Much of the success of this production is due to its solid cast, which includes the bright and radiant soprano of Emily Pulley as the newly hired governess. This governess oversees two pubescent children in an isolated British country estate, where two malevolent ghosts make merry with each sexual awakening. Pulley combines her warm soprano with strong acting to give this governess a vulnerability that tastefully unravels the fabric of her steely equipoise.
Britten devised this opera so that its two ghosts, Peter Quint and Miss Jessel, are visible and tactile entities. Thomas Glenn's virile presence and supple lyric tenor make a big impression. Glenn gives his Quint a Tim Burton-like air of shadowy menace, and his clear and fluid singing carry well in the large hall.
One of the haunting traits of this opera is the employment of a boy treble as Miles. Brooks Fisher handles the role with tact and a telltale frailty that suits the character well. Fisher's mild treble is amplified – a good thing, since it would get lost in the theater otherwise.
Strong performances are also delivered by Maria Jette as Miss Jessel, mezzo-soprano Fenlon Lamb as Mrs. Grose and the promising Antoni Mendezona as Flora.
Chuck Hudson's crisp and erotically veiled direction is filled with just the right fervor of caged sexuality. In this production, the housekeeper has unrealized sexual desires of her own that are directed toward the governess. All this seething ethereal erotica makes you wonder what's in the drinking water in this country estate.
Conductor Timm Rolek coaxes a crisp and dynamic performance from the orchestra. And the tasteful set, which includes a creepy phalliclike tower, adds much power to this tale.
Despite shortcomings such as the rushed singing in the first act and mannered acting by Jette, this production is solid and the company's best since "Cosi fan tutte" in 2006. It's interesting to note that "Cosi" was also a chamber opera, sans spectacle. Simplicity and taking on risky works wear well on this company.
Which posits a dilemma, as suggested by the nearly half-empty hall on Friday. The company's greatest charms may be ultimately lost on its risk-averse audience.
Call Bee arts critic Edward Ortiz, (916) 321-1071.
