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Radio Play -- The House (2004 DS Fest)
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The House by Art Wallace
Performed at the 2004 Dark Shadows Weekend in Tarrytown NY
Originally televised on Goodyear Playhouse in 1957
                                         reviewed by JMW

thehousecurtaincall1_edited.jpeg

This was an interesting choice of a play to for the cast to perform at the 2004 fest.  It was done not only because Art Wallace was one of the original DS writers, but also due to the fact that he later used this basic plot in one of DS's most well remembered storylines -- that of the return of Jason McGuire.  (Please note that the following will be a bit sketchy and I apologize in advance if I make any mistakes on character names, but I can't find my program book at the moment to double check these things.)
 
As the story opens we meet Carolyn (Marie Wallace), the reclusive matriarch of the large house on the hill in Collinsville, Maine.  She has a teenage daughter, Elizabeth (Kathryn Leigh Scott), whose boyfriend (played by David Selby) is very reminiscent of young Joe Haskell.
 
Into this setting comes Jason McGuire an old "friend" of Carolyn's returned from the sea after many years.  Jason was played with great relish by John Karlen, with an accent which was obviously a tip of the hat to his friend the late Dennis Patrick.
 
From there the plot pretty much follows the story we know with the addition of a few new characters: Lara Parker played the mother of a girl who is taking piano lessons from Elizabeth, and Denise Nickerson played the little girl.  Jamison Selby played two roles: a seafaring friend of Jason's and that of the Sheriff later on.
 
It was clear the cast was having a good time with this play.  They all threw themselves into it and their roles.  Virtually all were using "character voices" different from the ones we are used to for their other DS characters.  John Karlen's was obvious, but KLS and DS also did voices which made them sound like the teenagers they were playing.  All in all this play was very enjoyable, and I am sorry that I havent heard of any plans to release it via CD like Return to Collinwood was.
 
 
You may find  photos taken during the performance of this play at:
 
 

review @2005 by JMW and may not be copied in any form without prior written permission

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