Stage Review - Wild Man of the Wynoochee (Key City Public Theatre)
Stage Review - Wild Man of the Wynoochee
Presented By: Key City Public Theatre - Port Townsend, WA
Show Run: October 03 - October 27, 2024
Date Reviewed: Thursday, October 03, 2024 (Preview Night)
Reviewed By: Greg Heilman
To read the historical account of John Tornow, the infamous Wild Man of Wynoochee, is to learn about a troubled individual, institutionalized by his brothers, escaping shortly thereafter to a life of solitude in the woods of Gray’s Harbor County, Washington, before leaving a trail of blood and victims behind him, as officers and bounty hunters searched far and wide through the woods where Tornow could be found watching with wide eyed wonder while logging companies stripped the land of their bounty. Stemming from a childhood tragedy, his history of violence started early, and lasted until his own violent death, but not even that could stop the public’s fascination with this odd figure. From the time of his demise in 1913, the story of the “Cougar Man”, the “Mad Daniel Boone”, or yes, the “Wild Man of the Wynoochee” has become the stuff of legends. Such a positive story like this seems natural to become a musical, right? Sarcasm aside, that’s exactly what playwright Jessica Welsh thought when hearing of this legend. And with Linda Dowdell, Key City Public Theatre’s Resident Music Director writing the music, Jessica (book, lyrics) has built a musical tale that presents the story of John Tornow in a human way, with humor and kindness, a little greed, and a healthy dose of revenge. The result is the musical tale of the Wild Man of Wynoochee, the world premiere of which is currently on stage at Key City Public Theatre in Port Townsend, WA through October 27.
While many theaters coming out of Covid have leaned on popular titles in their programming in an effort to fill seats as part of their post-pandemic recovery, Key City has continued to be a leader in incubating new works from local playwrights and artists, whether it’s their ongoing relationship with Allen Fitzpatrick and his development of one-person Dickens plays, or more recently Gin Hammond’s Living IncogNegro. Wild Man of the Wynoochee is just the latest in this series, and I think what surprises me the most about this story is how mature it is at its current state of development. Other than some read-throughs, there hasn’t been and public workshopping of the piece, and the current run in Port Townsend represents its first time in front of an audience. Given all of this, Thursday’s preview, even with the requisite timing challenges (pausing for applause, set change efficiency, etc) that always arise in a preview, much less a world premiere, could have stood on its own in any theatre in Seattle, and the good news is that, after some cleanup, if can only get better. It’s definitely got a good start.
I mentioned the more human approach to John Tornow’s story. In this version, John, his brother Ted, and sister Minnie are still coming to terms with their father’s death, after which Ted receives the family logging business while John receives 200 acres of prime logging real estate in the woods. John, more comfortable sleeping under a roof of leaves and branches than one of shingles, vows never to let his trees be logged, even by his brother, who claims that having access to John’s land is the only thing preventing the business from dissolving. It seems the brothers can’t get past that point of dissent. John wants to be left alone and Ted wants his land. Sister Minnie is in the middle with her son Will, a huge admirer of Uncle John, and still grieving the loss of his father, Minnie’s husband. Add to the mix an attractive stranger, herself running away from a broken relationship and trying to fit in her new town, and John’s world is turned upside down. Keeping the peace in town, and among the Tornow family is Sheriff Giles Quimby, unaware when taking his position how challenging that would actually be, much less keeping away from reporter D.P. Lea, who is more interested in a scoop than how that scoop affects the Tornow family or the rest of the town. Jessica hasn’t taken enough liberties to make her story completely unrecognizable from the historical facts, though in these legends, it’s never clear how much is fact to begin with, but rather she’s kept the heart of the legend and humanized it, presenting an alternative perspective on the family, and on John in particular. She and Linda have also developed some excellent songs to make up the musical, which in and of itself is good news, because there’s quite a bit of music, especially in comparison to dialogue, in the piece. The musical is very Sondheim-esque, in that even when the characters speak, they’re doing so lyrically, and the music is the main driver of the story. Songs provide insight into the characters’ thoughts, motivations, and actions, they give context to the story, and they provide an emotional depth that might not otherwise be there. And when good songs are performed by talented actors in a story that really works, there’s nothing better.
And this cast is extremely talented. Led by Casey Raiha as John Tornow, it’s a group that is experienced and knows how to put all of the emotions and attitudes into their characters that are required in Jessica’s story. When I interviewed Casey a few months back, we mostly discussed his role in the Seattle theatre scene as the perpetual understudy, the “super sub” so to speak. My hope is that after people see him in this role, his work as an understudy will just about dry up. Casey shows in this portrayal that by casting him as a lead, Director Brendan Chambers is by no means taking a risk, because Casey absolutely deserves this lead role. His performance is nuanced, his voice is excellent, with power, and he convinces the audience that this is a character worth rooting for, that despite his actions, there’s good inside, which is the personification of Jessica’s point with this story. His ability to capture John’s determination to walk his own path, his clumsiness upon meeting Amanda in the woods, and his desperation at trying to keep his loved ones safe, all of these comprise a superb performance. The cast around Casey is made up of some of Seattle’s best. Ricky Spaulding, who I’ve seen on some of the larger Seattle stages, most recently in the wonderful Spring Awakening at the 5th Avenue Theatre and Sherwood at Village Theatre, for which he was nominated for a Sound on Stage award, brings his talent and versatility to the smaller Key City stage, and in doing so makes the space feel larger than it is. His performance as Sheriff Quimby is big, his voice precise, and the way he engages the audience brings them into the story, and into his character’s plight to try and keep the peace among this family disagreement that turns crisis. John’s siblings, Minnie and Ted, played by Christa Holbrook and Robert Winstead, are also extremely good here. Christa’s voice is almost operatic in its beauty, and her performance in “Lost Enough Already” is one of the high points of her emotional portrayal. She also harmonizes extremely well, though frankly this is something that is pervasive across this cast of wonderful singers under Linda Dowdell’s musical direction, all of the harmonies are precise, and that’s with some of the more complicated scaling that I’ve heard, especially in original pieces. Meanwhile, Robert’s Ted is incredibly good at being bad. His character is misogynistic, bigoted, and determined in doing whatever he can to subvert his brother’s claim to that 200 acres of prime logging wood. Ted is not too proud to bring in reporter D.P. Lea to help undermine his brother through the press, either. The reporter is played very well by Bry Kifolo, taking a turn on stage rather than off and coming off of her award for Best Stage Manager at the recent Sound on Stage Award ceremony. Bry’s performance here is full of movement, full of energy, and full of attitude. Her voice is as good as anyone in the cast, and she manages to remain steady, even while proving her acrobatic prowess on stage.
The wild card in the wild man’s story is Amanda, the stranger who comes across John in the woods and is immediately taken aback by his independent nature. He’s everything she would hope for in herself, and everything her ex-husband isn’t. The two develop a bond that is strong enough not to be broken by time or distance, and Anna Mae’s performance as Amanda is the biggest surprise for me. She’s sweet, hesitant at first, and increasingly confident, and her soprano seems effortless. Anna’s chemistry with Casey is clear, and their dance together in “Running Far Away” is so tender, it, in and of itself, speaks to the humanity of the story. Anna has the kind of voice that draws you in, and while John is portrayed in a positive light here, Amanda becomes his rock. Though if I had one remark to make on story, it is in this arc of John and Amanda. There’s a point in Act 1, where the two discuss their relationship, and what they mean to each other that doesn’t quite feel earned, there’s not enough exposition in the story of their romance to make that feel as authentic as it could. But if that’s the only note I have on story in a new piece of theatre, that’s not too shabby. Rounding out the cast is Angel Vargas as John’s nephew Will. As Minnie’s son, I like this performance from Angel. He’s not on stage as much as the rest of the cast, but when he is, he turns in a solid piece of work.
Another area of maturity in this production is in its design. The scenic design feels immersive, there’s a smell of woods that permeates the theatre upon entering, or it could just be that set designer Terry Tennesen’s work is so well done on stage. I love how he uses movable panels, covered in wood and moss to reflect different areas within the woods or without. The sounds of birds and frogs are prevalent even before the show begins, Taylor Thomas Marsh playing a large part in the immersiveness of the design with the sound design, and lighting designer Albert Mendez sets the tone with his use of ambient light, mostly toward the rear of the stage where the live orchestra sits. And speaking of the music, the band is excellent. I’d say the majority of live bands and orchestras take a bit to get going, but here they’re on from the first note, with Joey Gish on violin (Rachel Gribben handles violin duties on some of the dates), Issac Jasinski on bass, and Angie Tabor on drums (Sal Michael is percussion on other dates). Add to all of this some creative, time-accurate costuming from Corinne Elysse Adams, and the design is surprisingly complex for a show that is making its premiere.
The story of John Tornow may not be something I would have thought would make a good musical, it being laced with violence and bloodshed, but I’m happy to admit when I’m wrong, and I couldn’t have been more here. Wild Man of the Wynoochee, the new musical from Jessica Welsh and Linda Dowdell, takes the tale of a troubled young man at odds with his family and makes it a human story of love family, and forgiveness. With a musical soundtrack that is full of emotion and melodies that are sure to linger with audiences, and a talented cast led by Casey Raiha in a clear breakout role, Wild Man of the Wynoochee should be required viewing on your 2024-25 theatre schedule.
The World Premiere of Wild Man of the Wynoochee runs on stage at Key City Public Theatre through October 27. For more information including tickets, visit https://keycitypublictheatre.org/.
Photo credit: Mel Carter
