Another SCT Review Crew review of "A Tale of Two Cities"

The latest from the SCT Review Crew - "A Tale of Two Cities" reviewed by Aimee W. and Teagan W.


It’s been a long time since we’ve been so moved that we had to sit for a while after the curtain call just to get our bearings. Seattle Children’s Theatre does not disappoint with their production of A Tale of Two Cities - far from it. This is a poignantly moving tale that reminds us that people are often more emotional than rational – are made of both dark and light – vengeance and honor.

Rafael Untalan (background), Chelsey Rives, Connor Toms and Philip Davidson. Photo by Chris Bennion.

This production tells this tale in a powerful, moving way – honoring the Charles Dickens classic. The acting is superb! We were quite impressed with the caliber of acting in this show. There were no weak links – everyone held their own. We were especially impressed with the incredible job done by Jim Gall (understudy) who had his chance to go on in a large role as Monsieur Defarge. He didn’t miss a beat and it felt like the role was his from the beginning. He was fiery and passionate in his portrayal of Monsieur Defarge, a man who is conflicted between the cause and his loyalty to a friend.

Rafael Untalan as Sydney Carton. Photo by Chris Bennion.

The award-winning performance goes to actor Rafael Untalan who played Sydney Carton. His journey from self-centered, troubled defense attorney who makes a drunken promise to the woman he loves - to a sober, selfless man who actually carries through with that promise, was done in such an artful way that we were moved to tears as the final lights went out, signifying his death by guillotine. Another notable performance was by Amy Thone as Madame Defarge. She created a role that was sympathetic and malevolent – complex and myopic. Seattle Children’s Theatre continues to attract top talent. This cast was wonderful!

The set design by Carey Wong was superb. It artfully wove both impoverished and privileged into a rough, angular set that shifted between both worlds with ease and yet always had the sense that things were unsettled and not yet finished.

The costume design by Sarah Nash Gates was lovely, well-researched and added just the right touches of color to a neutral set when needed.

All of these elements from the acting to the lighting wouldn’t be what they are without the insightful direction of Rita Giomi. Ms. Giomi has a keen sense of themes and creates them without being heavy handed. She develops moments of power and angst through sound, lighting and movement. The only distracting direction happened with the scenes on the second level where the actor’s were seated. Sitting in the fifth row, center – we often had the faces of the actors blocked by the railing. We would have preferred that these scenes were done standing rather than sitting.

There is only one week left for this play – this is one you won’t want to miss. Stop reading this and call the box office right now to buy your tickets before it’s too late!!


A Tale of Two Cities closes April 12, 2009.

More on "Tale" from the SCT Review Crew

Here's the newest review from our group of intrepid subscribing-and-reviewing families known as the SCT Review Crew. Today's reviewers are Connie D., Kathi W. and Kelsey W.

Our Thoughts On A Tale of Two Cities

We loved A Tale of Two Cities. The playwright did a great job of remaining true to the book. We liked the way the playwright and director brought out Dickens’ compassion for the underdog, his understanding for the complications of class roles, and his focus on the character of individuals.

Right from the beginning of the play, we were hooked. Having several characters narrate the “It was the best of times…” phrases and the ominous sound in the background was powerful.

We liked the set, which worked in all locations. The coach carrying the Marquis (David Quicksall) was beautifully done (although for those of us near the front, a blanket over his lap would have helped the distraction of seeing all of his legs, etc.). Our other minor frustration was the fence in front of the balcony. In some scenes, it was difficult to see everyone completely. I appreciated how some of the actors leaned down so their faces were visible under the bar.

(top) Darragh Kennan and David Quicksall (bottom) Peter A. Jacobs and Philip Davidson. Photo by Chris Bennion.

We had differing opinions on the accents (or lack thereof). The youngest or us said during intermissions that she would have liked French and English accents so she could keep track of who was French and who was English. We older folk liked the emphasis on acting and clarity versus messing with accents. In our experience, actors trying to maintain perfect accents throughout a play tend to have less energy and force left for their acting.

The costumes were wonderful, especially those of the main characters and the upper and middle class. The Defarges’ (Allen Galli and Amy Thone) clothing was great, but one of us thought the mob scene extras’ costumes seemed a little too theatrically patchy. We know there’s a limit to budget and time, though, and the choice to spend more on the main characters was absolutely right.

Rafael Untalan, Allen Galli, Darragh Kennan, Marianne Owen and Carol Roscoe. Photo by Chris Bennion.

The mob scenes would have been more dramatic with more people, and again we understand there are financial limitations… but maybe you could have had some volunteers or stagehands or prop people come out for those scenes to make it feel more like a real, crowded, out-of-control, city mob.

The acting was excellent, especially Rafael Untalan as Sydney Carton. He was very believable in a role that could be overplayed. He felt very true to the person he was at each point in the story.

We really loved the directing by Rita Giomi. There were great transitions between scenes and ideas, great unity of narration, great use of the stage, sound and actors. There were a number of extremely poignant moments, such as the finale, which were done perfectly.

The final impact was superb. The relationship of Carton and the seamstress, pointing out his true compassion despite himself, was touching. We momentarily had a tough time transitioning with the same actress being the pitiful seamstress right after she’d been the cruel Mme. Defarge. Luckily, Amy Thone is such a great actress that we were able to forget the Mme. Defarge in her within a few seconds.

Rafael Untalan as Sydney Carton. Photo by Chris Bennion.

The long climb around and up to the guillotine, the darkening red sky, and the rhythm of the heads/guillotine falling coming closer together as the seamstress and Carton waited their turn made for great tension. Having the stage completely and suddenly darken when the guillotine finally fell on Carton was perfect. It’s not often that it takes the audience such a long time to catch their breaths and gather their wits enough to applaud. We noticed that many people were tearing up at the end, including Untalan. We (and he) were so involved in Carton’s last minutes that we felt it was brave for the actor to come back on stage after that experience.

Of course, we felt that this play was very relevant to today. (Did you choose this before Wall Street toppled and even more people lost their jobs and homes?) The point of caring for others and living for others really came across.

Thanks again for a wonderful show.


A Tale of Two Cities runs through April 12, 2009 in SCT's Charlotte Martin Theatre.

SCT Review Crew kicks off with "A Tale of Two Cities"

A couple of months ago, we came up with an idea for the SCT Review Crew. At the time, the closing of the Seattle P-I was imminent instead of in the rearview, and column inches for arts coverage were (and are) drying up everywhere.

So, we turned to our audience, and asked for subscribers willing to write reviews for the plays they see this year, and the SRC was born. Today, we unveil the first SCT Review Crew submission, a review of A Tale of Two Cities penned by Review Crewer Karilynn W.


Off the bat, I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this play—it stands out as one of my favorites for this age group. I even hauled my father to the theater, which I do occasionally, and he also thought it was really well done.

Rafael Untalan, Chelsey Rives and Connor Toms. Photo by Chris Bennion.

I’m still in the midst of reading Dickens’s classic and with all due respect to the novel, sometimes it’s a more enjoyable experience to see certain works in a different medium than the original. For me, SCT succeeded by presenting A Tale of Two Cities in a fluid and engaging stage performance, lightening up some of the dense prose and plot without losing the themes and impact of the original novel. The result is an exciting, thoughtful and accessible story, sometimes funny and sometimes dramatic, that stays true to the novel’s interwoven narrative while still retaining clarity between the different plot threads. There is never confusion as to what or where events are taking place—I was caught up in the story without having to stop and figure out what just happened.

Rafael Untalan (background), Chelsey Rives, Connor Toms and Philip Davidson. Photo by Chris Bennion.

I also thought the set design (by Carey Wong) was stellar, playing a big part in the flow and tone of the story. In the darkened light, the wooden walkway stretching around the stage and the multi-tiered set pieces set the mood and worked wonderfully during the “split screen” scenes—simultaneous events taking place in different cities and in different past/present times. The English major part of my brain was even tickled in that, particularly in the France scenes, the multilevel set played on the class divide conflict—the aristocracy at the top and the “common” citizens at the bottom. Of course the set and lighting, especially striking during the guillotine scene, was great with or without a nagging English major brain.

Props to the cast—my experience is that SCT casts consistently do a great job and I always love seeing familiar faces from previous plays. Both Monsieur and Madame Defarge (Allen Galli and Amy Thone) were strong characters and played well against each other, shedding light on the different lengths one might go to for such a cause. (Thone also stood out to me because her of very recent appearance in another wonderful play, Tomás and the Library Lady.) I also really want to highlight Mr. Carton’s character (Rafael Untalan) — for me, using him as the primary mouthpiece for the story transitions brought focus to him and anchored the final act, where as the story’s heart, his decision hits home—at the end, I felt the pricks of emotional eye burn (you know that feeling you get behind the eyes when you’re moved by something). At the same time, he also brought some lightness and humor to the tale. He was the smart, smart-alecky guy that we liked; he wasn’t bad, just unmotivated and uninvolved until he found something that mattered.

Rafael Untalan as Sydney Carton. Photo by Chris Bennion.

I know in the performance I attended, the play was enjoyed by a wide audience, from preteens on up to the older couples that attended, including me and my guest. After the final scene, the audience gave a standing ovation and on the matinees I usually go to, I don’t see that very often. I think we had a slight guillotine technical malfunction at the end, but it didn’t disrupt the onstage action. This is a great choice for preteens and up, all the way up to fathers like mine—if I lived farther north, it’s one I wouldn’t mind seeing again.


A Tale of Two Cities runs through April 12, 2009 in SCT's Charlotte Martin Theatre.

"A Tale of Two Cities" Teen Review

Opening weekend of "A Tale of Two Cities" is behind us, and our very first review comes from a teen member of our audience, Kathryn L., a student at Bishop Blanchet High School. (spoiler alert - critical plot points are revealed)


I am fourteen and have only heard of Charles Dickens. You say Dickens and I think of Oliver Twist, a whale, and milkshakes. I attempted to read A Tale of Two Cities before coming, but could not get a hold of a copy as it is apparently a very popular book. Going in, all I knew were two things. One, I was going to watch a play based of a story by the famed English author Charles Dickens; and two, the story and play took place during the French Revolution.

Philip Davidson, Connor Toms, Chelsey Rives and Rafael Untalan. Photo by Chris Bennion.

On the way out, I knew three more things. One, it was terrific, even though I had no idea what the story was about going in. Two, it made me cry and was definitely better than reading The Odyssey for school. And three, (was that my [Language Arts] teacher I just saw walking out? Well, it wasn’t - thank goodness for that) I couldn’t wait for junior year during which I will read the book because of school requirements, and not only was I excited, but also dreading the idea of crying again when Carton (Rafael Untalan) and Darnay (Connor Toms) switch.

The sets were very realistic and I marveled at the well painted-backdrop and the richness portrayed in the Marquis’ (David Quicksall) room. I could almost feel the imaginary crowds’ spit as it rained from their angry mouths while they yelled for the death of Darnay at the trial. The devotion the cast and crew had for the making of the play shined through the dynamics of their voices, movements, and spectacular effects. Fast costume changing is right - it went by so quickly that I almost forgot that there were only a few people total.

(top) Darragh Kennan and David Quicksall (bottom) Peter Jacobs and Philip Davidson. Photo by Chris Bennion.

By far the drunken confession of love by Sydney Carton for Lucie Manette (Chelsey Rives) to the empty streets and then later the neighbors was the best. His sarcastic comments coupled with Charles Darney’s earnest do-gooding compliments made for very interesting conversation regarding Lucie. The sobs of the dying sister and Lucie as death is brought to whomever are life-like and chilling, and the shock on Mr. Lorry’s (Peter Jacobs) face as Carton says goodbye is priceless, as are Dr. Manettes’ (Philip Davidson) mad mumblings. The fierceness and loyalty shown by Miss Pross (Marianne Owen) towards her “ladybird” is matched only by Samwise Gamgee towards Frodo Baggins, and the determination and partiotism for France (in a unique way) is only for Monsieur and Madame, excuse me, the Citizens Defarge (Allen Galli and Amy Thone). The devastation of losing a child is evident of Gaspard’s (Darragh Kennan) face, as is his nonchalance at committing the murder of the Marquis to avenge his Babbette.

Rafael Untalan, Allen Galli, Darragh Kennan and Marianne Owen. Photo By Chris Bennion.

All together, the set and the superb acting of the actors are what make the show, and the sound effects are truly wonderful.

The play makes me want to read the book, and I only have two complaints. That it didn’t go on for longer, and that Carton didn’t live. But hey, you can’t control that, the original author’s dead, and the book is only known world-wide.


A Tale of Two Cities runs through April 12, 2009 in SCT's Charlotte Martin Theatre.