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| Virginia Olivieri and Anora Biggs Photo by Renee Ashlock |
Click here for more information on this production that runs through November 18th.
"Maxwell Anderson's 1954 psychological thriller The Bad Seed tells the story of a sweet and loving 8-year-old girl who may also be a cold-blooded killer responsible for a series of tragic deaths. Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre's production is full of suspenseful touches and has a talented cast, including Anora Biggs who is very good as the possible diabolical and deadly killer....some of the dialogue is a bit stilted and a few moments in the play border on melodrama...The majority of this cast, under Diane Senffner's confident direction, deliver layered performances along with numerous chills and even some humor. As Rhoda, Anora Biggs ...knows how to display the sweet, sunny and smiling face of an angel-faced demon child. As Christine, Rhoda's mother,...Virginia Olivieri delivers a nuanced performance that skillfully shows just how far a mother will go to protect her child...While this is a talkative script with a fairly rich plot and many characters, Senffner's direction keeps the pace moving at the right speed to allow for the secrets and revelations that Anderson does a good job in foreshadowing to play out in a fairly natural way...Though The Bad Seed may have moments that border on melodrama, with a good cast and direction, Desert Stages' production projects the right balance of eerie suspense, drama, humor, comedy, and moments of shocking violence. It's a solid production of a classic suspense story." -Gil Benbrook, Talkin' Broadway (click here to read the complete review)
"..While retaining its intrigue, (the play) lacks the emotional punch it once had. The shock value is gone... It can’t overcome the passing of time... It’s a dated play... What works for Desert Stages Theatre is the capable cast....." -David Appleford, Valley Screen and Stage (click here to read the complete review)
"..What makes THE BAD SEED a particularly terrifying and disconcerting story is that the sociopath is Rhoda Penmark, a pigtailed eight-year-old basket of kisses who confounds most everyone with her solicitous and ingratiating behavior, all the while covering up her dastardly deed ~ the murder of a fellow student all for the want of a medal she thought she was entitled to. In Desert Stages Theatre's current production of the play, directed by Diane Senffner, ten-year-old Anora Biggs epitomizes the dark side of this child with a glare and a smile that is downright chilling..Her performance is not enough, however, to sustain what should be a taut and suspenseful escalation to revelation and resolution. ..." - Herbert Paine, Broadway World (click here to read the complete review)
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