Scene 1, Sunday afternoon. We meet the main players, namely Dr. Katherine Stockman and her family, friends, and local community members, as they gather for a casual BBQ lunch. Pay close attention to the interactions between each of the characters – they will evolve and change as the story progresses but it’s important to remember this immediate sense of community and family between them. The stage is set, the tongs being test snapped, beers cracked, and banter flowing freely. Upstage, nice and close to the audience, the cast are immediately under close scrutiny, but they react and interact with and around each other with practiced ease. Dr. Katherine shares the discovery that the local baths at the spa resort – which was her idea, and have become an important part of the towns economy – are poisoned with heavy metals.
Scenes 2 and 3 reveal Dr. Katherine’s tumultuous relationship with her brother, the mayor, and her father-in-law, as well as her warmer friendships with other members of the community. The community friendships Dr. Katherine has obviously cultivated work in her favour to help her get the word out about the poisoned bath house. But the Mayor has other plans. We are swiftly transported from Dr. Katherine’s living room to the entrance of the spa report, where we witness the Mayor marshalling the community members to oppose Dr. Katherine. The Mayor is persuasive and captivating in his speech, striking in his suit and confident in his decision. If you watch closely you can see the moment Dr. Katherine feels the rug is ripped out from underneath her.
And the lights lift for interval. The volunteers serving the refreshments on offer are so friendly, if you aren’t paying attention you may not notice when the cast make their way to the auditorium and begin mingling with the audience…
Scene 4, Dr. Katherine is addressing the town in an informal meeting. She wants the town to understand the concerns and risks at the resort spa. In this case, the town is the audience. The rest of the cast wander around and through the auditorium, not only interacting with the audience, but throwing snarky comments to Dr. Katherine. Be prepared to be exceptionally frustrated at the outstanding performance from the male cast members of shouting down a female colleague, and keep your ears open for their amusing commentary in response to Dr. Katherine’s statements.
With a simple, but elegant stage decoration and furniture, each scene is clearly set. At no point was it unclear where the characters were, and their interactions with the props outstanding. Every prop, piece of furniture, and piece of set was used to its fullest, being moved, manipulated, acted with and around naturally, nothing stood out as out of place. The lighting, and the timing of, were never out of place, the same for which can be said about the sound. The costumes and makeup were perfect for the small town aesthetic – the men all looked very striking in their suits, and the women suitably dressed for their work and station.
One thing I did notice was the first and final scenes between Dr. Katherine and the Mayor felt shakier, and less in line with their characters than the rest of their performance. But every cast member brought their characters to life with very natural interactions, amusing expressions in the background, and a compelling presence on stage. This cast melded together spectacularly, even when their characters were at odds. “An Enemy of the People” by St. Jude’s players is thoroughly enjoyable, professional, and not to be missed.
To book tickets to An Enemy of the People, please visit https://stjudesplayers.asn.au/bookings/.
