By Kristina Oquendo
As the lights dimmed in the theater, quiet eerie whispers of “Lizzie Borden took an axe, gave her mother 40 whacks, when she saw what she had done, gave her father 41” filled the room. As the nursery rhyme continued on, the space was illuminated with white light and ghostly projections of shadows of little girls skipping rope on the theater walls and stage. Shortly after the main characters arrive, contradictory to the spooky atmosphere that was just displayed, a musical number with killer guitars and powerful vocals starts playing. Created by Steven Cheslik-DeMeyer, Alan Stevens Hewitt and Tim Maner, “Lizzie” is a punk rock musical based on the real life of Lizzie Andrew Borden, who was tried and acquitted for the brutal axe murders of her father and stepmother in Fall Rivers, Massachusetts on August 4th, 1892. The main cast consists of four women: Sydney Shepherd, Courtney Bassett, Nora Schell, and Kim Onah.
This all-women show was directed by Lainie Sakakura, and the music director, as well as keyboard player in the show’s band, is Erika R. Gamez. When the main characters enter, we are introduced to Emma Borden (Courtney Bassett), Alice Russell (Kim Onah), Bridget Sullivan (Nora Schell), and the infamous Lizzie Borden (Sydney Shepherd). Although she was a high suspect and questioned many times, Lizzie was never convicted of the crime. A lot remains up in the air with the public due to this. This historic event has since been turned into a pop culture phenomenon, inspiring various films, plays, nursery rhymes and more, including this high energy musical which made its way to TheaterWorks in Hartford, Ct. Those who live in New England and are curious about the history of their home will highly enjoy this humorous yet creepy show, as well as those who may find themselves able to identify not with the bloody murder aspect, but the suffering Lizzie went through that is depicted in the play, which led to her dark actions.
The show begins with the four characters introducing themselves and giving us insight into the life that the Borden sisters were living. We learn about how their father remarried to someone whom the sisters did not approve of and were very unhappy with. We also get to see a glimpse into the very real possibility of how Lizzie’s father abused her emotionally, physically, and sexually. Songs such as “This is not love” and “Gotta get out of here” support this notion while also adding to the overall aura of the play, highlighting how there are both powerful ballads and searing instrumentals with powerhouse vocals. As the play continues, we learn more about Lizzie’s personal life, such as her relationship with her friend and secret lover Alice, as well as a moment in which Lizzie finds out that her father killed the pigeons she used to look after. The events that take place leading up to the trial all point to how Lizzie did in fact kill her parents, along with the motives behind why. We see her long grey dress covered in blood and her wielding the hatchet used to do the crime. There are scenes that include how the maid (Bridget) is very much aware of what happened but acts as if she knows no better, and Lizzie’s lover Alice who becomes scared and informs the police of what she did. Throughout the show, Emma Borden seems to not be upset at all with what Lizzie has done, considering how very unhappy she also was.
The score has hard rock songs to go along with the frightening events taking place. “Somebody will do something,” a song about how Lizzie is slowly growing more and more rageful, is a strong example of this, and is also a great tune to make the show much more interesting and gripping. A big turning point is after the intermission. Before this, we couldn’t see the live band that was playing behind the scenes. After the intermission, the walls in the middle of the stage separating them are apart, leaving us to finally see the people working extremely hard to provide the incredible music that this show contains. All the characters change from their period piece costumes into darker clothes with fishnets, rips, and plaid pieces, tying perfectly with the rock score throughout the play. The show ends with her eventually being acquitted of her crime, as well as her and her sister receiving the fortune that they claimed their stepmother was after. After the curtain call, there is a reprise of the “Lizzie Borden took an axe” rhyme, but instead of the eerie whispers from before, it is sung with loud shouts and high energy, while all the cast are jumping and running on stage.
Going into this play, I did not know what to expect. Punk rock musicals are something I didn’t think could exist, especially not one that is on such a wide scale as this. Going to any live performance, I expect the actors to be convincing and captivating to the point where they embody the character so well that you almost forget they are only playing a role. These four actors were able to do just that. Giving a stellar performance on top of having amazing voices and the ability to consistently keep a story alive, I was blown away by how great this musical was. Despite this, there were some flaws I would like to point out, such as not projecting loud enough past the live music in some instances, as well as giving more detail to the stage rather than just a small pedestal or table in the center. I could also argue that although each character was captivating, utilizing their space a bit more would add to the strength of the show overall. There were times where I felt that Lizzie (Sydney Shepherd) was restricting herself from being able to physically express her character, such as not enough movement in her scenes where she was depicted as gradually losing her mind. These key details, in my opinion, would make the show solid, but they don’t overpower all the amazing qualities of this compelling play.
I am more than happy with the experience that was “Lizzie” at TheaterWorks. You get the whole package when it comes to this show: great music, talented voices and actors, and a story about a bloody murder that is equally creepy yet thrilling. Anyone can appreciate the artwork and dedication put into this story, but especially those who have lived and/or been in Massachusetts, or even the New England area and have an interest in the spooky history of where they live. Fans of both horror and good music won’t want to miss out on this enthralling story as well. Overall, “Lizzie” killed it, quite literally.
Course: ENGL1020 Fall 2023
Assignment: Drama Evaluation
Instructor: Daniela Ragusa
Photo credit: “Lizzie Borden House” by Amy Meredith (Creative Commons license)
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