ROADS OF DESTINY: THE O. HENRY STORIES
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In Roads of Destiny: The O. Henry Stories, Transient Theatre offers three short stories by turn-of-the-century author William Sydney Porter–better known by his pen name, O. Henry–along with a sentimental portrait of the man himself. Making the best of a cramped situation, set designer Brian Shipinski has transformed the small studio space into a Pullman berth through the simple use of a platform bed and some curtains. Steve Tanner’s adaptation of the stories includes Porter’s commentary between tales: the author is only slightly surprised to discover an audience of 30 in his berth for one. Charmingly, he offers to autograph any copies of “The Gift of the Magi” we might have handy before settling in to relate a tale or three, interspersed with musings that serve as sketchy autobiography. He is suffering from tuberculosis, and the train speeding him (and presumably us) to New York City will not deliver him alive.
While Porter watches from his berth above one side of the stage, his stories are dramatized in the narrow playing space, which forces a flat staging resembling the illustrations of a storybook. Casey is choosy about his stage pictures though, and the economy of the movement is engaging. The ensemble glide easily from quick poses to full frozen tableaux, trading off the task of narration. It’s a little like watching an old magic-lantern show, or thumbing very slowly through a flip book. The actors are warm, polished, and supremely confident in both method and material. The confidence is not misplaced. Porter was a grand storyteller, and Tanner’s adaptations are faithful.
