"Dr. Cook's Garden"

August 5, 2010 — Returning to the Winnipesaukee Playhouse in Weirs Beach, New Hampshire for the first time since seeing "Scotland Road" on July 13, I was amazed at the transformation of the stage. Far from "Road's" stark, white-walled set with a single chair for a prop, tonight's set consisted of a 1960's-style fully furnished doctor's office alongside a receptionist's office and waiting room, also furnished in '60's tradition.

Tonight's offering was "Dr. Cook's Garden" by Ira Levin, author of "Deathtrap" and "Rosemary's Baby." The Levin style is to take normal, happy people in everyday situations and gradually plunge them into a dark, sinister world of fear, danger, sometimes the supernatural, and often death. In "Dr. Cook," young Dr. Tennyson returns to his small hometown in Vermont for a visit after completing his internship in Chicago. He's joyfully welcomed by friends and associates, including his mentor, Dr. Cook. He's overwhelmed with invitations to visit various families and urged to stay longer than the single weekend he planned. The overall feeling is one of warmth and good intentions. However, the tone of the play turns sinister when a vile secret is revealed.

The original Broadway play lasted only a week when director George C. Scott walked out and there were threats to blow up the theater if the production went ahead. The sensitive and controversial subject matter would make nary a ripple today, but was rarely addressed publicly in 1967.

This production of "Dr. Cook's Garden," however, left me unsatisfied. The actors just weren't up to making their characters compelling, especially during the first half of the play which sets the stage for the darkening, fateful second half. They would have done better to speak in their normal voices rather than imitate Vermont accents, which would never have fooled a Vermonter. I sensed a lack of enthusiasm in the audience. At one point, I overheard someone behind me whisper, "Boring." The tense, suspenseful events of the play's last hour, however, were gripping enough.

Not every production can be a winner. I'm looking forward to their final play of the season, "Crossing Delancey." I'm a loyal fan of the Winnipesaukee Playhouse. Most of their plays are excellent. It's a small, intimate theatre with the audience close to the stage, although plans are underway to build a new state-of-the-art theatre and campus in Meredith.