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** This is an archived, static copy of the Casebook messages boards dating from 1998 to 2003. These threads cannot be replied to here. If you want to participate in our current forums please go to https://forum.casebook.org **
Time After Time (Mattera)
Casebook Message Boards: Ripper Media: Specific Titles:
Drama / Theater:
Time After Time (Mattera)
Author: Dr. Frederick Walker
Friday, 20 November 1998 - 11:34 am |        | | This play is the 3rd telling of a now famous story by Karl Alexander. JTR steals a time machine from HG Wells and escapes to 20th century America, doggedly persued by Wells himself, who wants his invention back. Wells trails his quarry through present-day San Francisco. Along the way, his discovers how laughably wrong all his predictions for the future were, and falls in love with a modern, liberated woman. Alexander's novel has also been superby filmed by Nicholas Meyer. We must keep in mind that this is a Sci-fi adventure, not a mystery. We are simply told in Scene I that Dr. Stephenson is the Ripper (a daring solution indeed, before Melvin Haris wrote his books!) The rest is a lengthy chase through time. Historical information on both JTR and Wells is inadequate or absurdly wrong. The Autumn of Terror is set in 1893, for example, and Anderson's Witness spots the Ripper in "Harley Square!" Wells is derided by 20th century critics as "an eccentric nut" -- in fact, a simple phone call to the English Department of any university would have told the playwrights that he is acclaimed as a literary genius. But for sheer entertainment, this one's hard to beat. 15 short scenes include fights, chases, confrontations, jokes and romance. Everything takes place in pools of light with minimal staging, and the 12 roles are easily doubled by as few as 6 or 7 actors. Time After Time is a sure-fire draw for any theatre group, fun to act and fun to watch. Just don't expect it to be educational, because it isn't. |
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