Document text
3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories 10 things to know for Friday App Finder: Nice nutrition apps Emergency services, March 6 10 things to know for Thursday Arkansas man arrested for robbery in Medford Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services, March 6 Arkansas man arrested for robbery in Medford Convicted rapist gets life without parole Learn to protect yourself in free class on identity theft Emergency services Politics and Elections Ashland: Budget increase, swimming pool funding discussion on council agenda Judge upholds Phoenix's moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries Ballots on Jackson County marijuana tax go out Friday Brown's inauguration brings hope to local lawmakers Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Education Ashland School District learns why its anti-bullying rating was low Ashland district rethinks transfer approval process MSD to save taxpayers nearly $10.5 million by refinancing Medford schools superintendent gets high marks St. Mary's robotics team qualifies for state competition Environment Catastrophic wildfires expected in Southern Oregon this summer The new normal under climate change? Lost Creek Lake algae bloom subsides Lost Creek Lake logjam could become hazard for boaters Made in the Shade State News Eastern Oregon dig uncovers ancient stone tool Team tracks new baby orca Motor-voter bill sent to Gov. Brown Mother blames deputies, stun guns for son's death Officials: High court ruling won't affect Oregon health care Nation - World Obituaries Robert Lee Bennett Paul Orvil Fallgreen Earl Dean King Gary Taylor Death Notices Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Bank of America is predicting a massive Tesla collapse Mars One attracts science fiction geeks and people who hate society This $1 million Mercedes is like an armored private jet for the road Sports Latest Stories Blazers downs Mavericks but lose guard Matthews No. 5 Arizona steamrolls Cal, 99-60 Moore is better for Bulls Rothfus leads St. Mary's into state semifinals Manning reworks deal, will be back for Broncs Varsity 541 College Sports No. 5 Arizona steamrolls Cal, 99-60 SOU distance relay qualifies for NAIA finals Cougars hold off Ducks in tournament One step at a time Ducks have edge in Civil War victory Pro Sports Blazers downs Mavericks but lose guard Matthews Moore is better for Bulls Manning reworks deal, will be back for Broncs Holmes opens four-shot lead at WGC MLS ready to kick off its 20th season Community Sports Business Latest Stories New construction prices jump 18.2 percent in Jackson County CEO Rieder leaving Erickson March 31 Harry & David announces new president Ride & Drive: 2015 Chrysler 300 Local businesses still feeling effects of port slowdown Real Estate News New construction prices jump 18.2 percent in Jackson County People In Business People in Business: Feb. 28 People in Business People in Business Transportation CEO Rieder leaving Erickson March 31 Lodging gains bode well for travel industries Medford airport flies past January record Agriculture Harry & David announces new president Warm winter has fruit growers poised for action Briefcase: Business briefs for Feb. 21 Opinion Latest Matthew T. Mangino: Pennsylvania officials battle over possibility of rare execution Our View: Cheers and Jeers Letters to the Editor, March 6 Michael Gerson: Negotiating from weakness Arthur I. Cyr: Brutal murders in Russia a reminder and challenge Editorials Our View: Cheers and Jeers Our View: Take it slow on legal marijuana Our View: Small climate steps add up to big ones Our View: Drawing back the curtain on government Other Views: Brown's list of challenges is lengthy Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, March 6 Letters to the Editor, March 5 Letters to the Editor, March 4 Letters to the Editor, March 3 Letters to the Editor, March 2 Columns Matthew T. Mangino: Pennsylvania officials battle over possibility of rare execution Michael Gerson: Negotiating from weakness George Will: Stopping the IRS Dana Milbank: Netanyahu's fighting words Kathleen Parker: The GOP — A tragedy in 52 acts Guest Opinions GUEST OPINION: Police, community should work to prevent profiling Guest Opinion: Don't overregulate Oregon's hemp industry Guest Opinion: Predatory banking practices bilk citizens Guest Opinion: Is less education the answer? Guest Opinion: Bill would shore up legal aid funding Lifestyle Latest stories Fishing Report: Friday, March 6 Looking Up: Fiery red Betelgeuse shines bright Biologists and politicians taking turns with trout Health Watch: Get prepped for spring break Columbia boaters face new distress rules Food Page Onorato: Please don’t take my Goo Goo Clusters away Season Stepp: Celebrate Pi Day with these tasty pie recipes Tammy Kelly: Bring back the potatoes Pantry pride Tips for a Pacific Northwest crab feed Home and Garden Dear Monty: Home seller seeks to start bidding war Paul Rogers: Looking for signs of new life Home Help: Enhance your home-office experience Specialty painting adds wow to your walls Dear Monty: Home seller questions agent ethics Health Health Watch: Get prepped for spring break HealthStyle: Marriage care and maintenance Community blog: How I Became Radical: The Power of Acceptance Community blog: The Guest List: Check! Health Watch: Sticking to your health plan when your family isn’t helping Hiking Biking Faith Religion Briefs (No heading) Religion briefs, Feb. 27 Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 20 Religion News: Pope makes surprise shantytown visit Milestones and Achievements Engagement: Workman-Wright Anniversary: Hofer New arrivals: Sunday, Feb. 8 Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Live Music in Local Clubs Alice DiMicele plays the Unitarian Fellowship Darrin Wayne steps to the plate at Rising Stars Southern Oregon University Wind Ensemble to present 'All American' Theater TMTO's 'Bye Bye Birdie' takes flight Brava! Opera presents classic Mozart and Poulenc Review: 'Fingersmith' a twisting thriller with love 'Guys and Dolls' a sure bet for dazzling entertainment 'She Stoops' rises on SOU stage Music Live Music in Local Clubs Alice DiMicele plays the Unitarian Fellowship Darrin Wayne steps to the plate at Rising Stars The Farr Side: Another career highlight for Kelly Clarkson Southern Oregon University Wind Ensemble to present 'All American' Community Events Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Jesse Lawson and Joe Moxley host 'Barkeeper' Third Fridays showcases local artists Southern Oregon Rod and Custom Show Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Dining Sakura Japanese Sushi Restaurant opens in new location Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, March 1 Great Outdoor Grill offers healthful options Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015 Saigon Xich Lo Vietnamese cuisine Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines/Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Our View: Cheers and Jeers ... Biologists and politicians taking turns with trout ... Columbia boaters face new distress rules ... Our View: Cheers and Jeers ... Biologists and politicians taking turns with trout ... Columbia boaters face new distress rules ... REVIEW Review: 'Fingersmith' a twisting thriller with love By Bill Varble for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Bill Varble for the Mail Tribune Posted Mar. 3, 2015 @ 4:36 pm Updated Mar 3, 2015 at 8:27 PM By Bill Varble for the Mail Tribune Posted Mar. 3, 2015 @ 4:36 pm Updated Mar 3, 2015 at 8:27 PM » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Early in "Fingersmith," young pickpocket and lady's maid Sue Trinder (Sara Bruner) is undressing young heiress Maud Lilly (Erica Sullivan) in her room at Maud's uncle's country estate. A dress comes off, petticoats fly, a crinoline, a corset, all the foofaraw in which upper-class Victorian ladies were bundled. As the scene offers glimpses of social class and the status of women in 19th century England, an unmistakable sexual current begins to flow between Sue and Maud. It grows. Time slows. For a white, protestant Englishman of means, Victorian England was a swell place. For most everybody else, not so much. The Welsh novelist Sarah Waters re-imagined this Dickensian world in detail, added some forbidden sex and a twisting plot, ran it all through a feminist lens and created "Fingersmith," a 2002 page-turner nominated for a Booker Prize. Deftly adapted into a three-hour play by Alexa Junge and tautly directed by Oregon Shakespeare Festival Artistic Director Bill Rauch, the play debuted Sunday afternoon at the OSF's Angus Bowmer Theatre like a three-hour jolt of electricity. Sue, an orphan, has been raised in an Oliver Twist-style den of thieves by Mrs. Sucksby (Kate Mulligan), a "baby farmer," as women were called who took in babies for money and raised them in wildly varying conditions. One day she's enlisted in the plot of Mrs. Sucksby's friend Gentleman (Elijah Alexander) to seduce the wealthy Maud, then have her committed to a lunatic asylum and keep her fortune, which Gentleman will split with Sue. Maud, also an orphan, lives a life of material privilege and spiritual poverty in the secluded estate of her controlling uncle, Christopher Lilly (Peter Frechette), who is working on a mysterious dictionary that's actually a bibliography of Victorian pornography. Sue starts to have feelings for Maud, but she sticks with the scheme. After all, what could go wrong? Nothing in this world is quite what it seems, including some characters. There's an old saw that if you're in a card game and don't know who the fish is, you're the fish. “Fingersmith" takes this further. You may know who the fish is, but the pond may not be what you think. "Fingersmith" underscores this dizzying effect by ending the first act with a dandy of a cliffhanger, then switching perspectives in the second act. "Fingersmith" (slang for pickpocket) is a play without a fourth wall. The characters often speak directly to us, even in the middle of various actions. There is clever use of dramatic irony, in which we know things characters don't. Christopher Acebo's deliciously hardscrabble set, with its forced perspective of crime-infested Lant Street, handily morphs into Lilly's mansion and Mrs. Sucksby's hovel. Deborah Dryden's costumes range from the expensive finery of Maud and Gentleman to the fetid rags of the denizens of Mrs. Sucksby's and all that amazing Victorian underwear. Video and projections by Shawn Sagady flush out this world we thought we knew from a million old novels and plays and movies. There are some highly theatrical effects, including punishments and some of the abuse that passed as “treatment” for the insane. Waters has been called a feminist Dickens. That's not bad. The play has a burning sense of social injustice, and it presents its lesbian love as an existential political act of reclaiming one's identity as well as a note of sweetness in an unjust, patriarchal world. Crucially, the sexual politics emerge from the heart of the story and don't feel forced or preachy. Bruner's Sue is a smart (although illiterate), tough-as-nails young woman with a credible Cockney accent and an amazing arc that takes her from thief to conspirator to maid to lover to some other things we won't mention, other than to say the conditions in the insane asylums of the day were horrific. As Maud, Sullivan rivets the audience as she re-invents herself several times. These are bravura performances by two gifted young actors, and they project a delicious sexual chemistry to boot. Mulligan creates a memorable, three-dimensional Mrs. Sucksby, who is more than she seems. Alexander and Frechette are wonderful, deplorable villains that we, along with the sisterhood, love to hate. “Fingersmith” is a breathless entertainment with engaging characters who have everything at stake. The Victorian world may never look quite the same. Reach Medford freelance writer Bill Varble at [email protected]. By Bill Varble for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Bill Varble for the Mail Tribune Posted Mar. 3, 2015 @ 4:36 pm Updated Mar 3, 2015 at 8:27 PM » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501