BRATTLEBORO — Shoot the Moon Theater Company returns to their first live, in-person theater performances since 2020 with a production of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for its 2022 annual Halloween Spectacular.
Shows take place Fridays and Saturdays, Oct. 21–22 and Oct. 28–29 at 7:30 p.m. in the Hooker-Dunham Theater & Gallery.
Artistic Director Joshua Moyse says in a news release, “We stayed in contact through COVID-19, did some online readings, and did a digital Halloween show in 2020,” he said in a news release. “We've mostly been waiting until the time was right to rev back up, and now is that time.”
Cast members for this production include company regulars Eric Cutler, Colin Grube, Harral Hamilton, and Jennifer Moyse. Alistair Follansbee also returns as the company's stage manager.
Shoot the Moon staged a different version of Jekyll and Hyde in 2014. Moyse says this adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson story combines camp, comedy, and horror into an antic and nightmarish retelling that focuses on the theme of friendship and one's circle of friends diminishing as one gets older.
“One of the most poignant aspects of the story is the intense feeling of isolation Dr. Jekyll copes with. He cannot, in fact, go out and see his friends because of the transformation he goes through,” explains Moyse, while pointing out the main character of Stevenson's book is actually Jekyll's friend, John Utterson. “We're going to investigate the contemporary resonance of this dynamic while still delivering the fast-paced entertainment audiences have become accustomed to with our Halloween productions.”
The Hooker-Dunham Theater & Gallery is located at 139 Main Street. The theater requires proof of vaccination or proof of a negative test for all performers and audience. Audience members are also required to mask while inside the lobby and performance space.
General Admission is $13. Tickets can be purchased at the door or reserved in advance by calling 802-451-0523. For more information, visit shootthemoontheater.com.