Nine. The number of positions to be fielded in baseball. Nine. The ball that kept hitting the poor mouse as we learned multiplication from School House Rock. Nine. The levels of Dante’s hell. Nine. The number of actors needed for Jeff Dunne’s Hellbent at Laurel Mill Playhouse.
The Director, and Playwright of Hellbent has really out Dunne himself. Having read several of Dunne’s plays through the Baltimore Playwrights Festival, and being part of a reading of one, I have always found his work entertaining. I expected nothing less for this production and Dunne did not disappoint.
From set design, by Dunne and Raven Hall, to the lights and sound of Dana Bonistalli there is so much to see and enjoy. Pay close attention to the set dressing for added Easter Eggs. There wasn’t anyone listed as Prop-master in the program, but this person should be recognized as well. If for nothing else the Demon book of spells that was coveted by just about every journalist at the show.
This production relies on the tightness of the actors, and Dunne has cast an amazing group. The old saying is that there are no small roles in theatre, and this cast embodies just that. In my view everyone was a principal player and all of them together made for a very enjoyable evening. Victoria Sova (Lacey), Robert Howard (Devlin), Selena Renee Gill (Lena), Chris Carothers (Ophistopheles), Sam David (Incubeth), Kevin Wilson (Ahmenahmenon), Rebecca Korn (Fezdemona), Ed Schilter (Robert), and Bob Singer (Lucifer) all put on a show that will keep you laughing and wanting for more. At the end of the run this group should stay together as an Improve team. They were just that good together. Extremely good!
As with all of Dunne’s material it’s not just a night of laughs, but a message. What message you may ask? Well that all depends on where you are in your life’s journey and for what you are searching. Dunne has the unique ability to blend real life into his farcical writing. As Dunne himself put it, “If you come to the theater seeking statements about the nature of the universe, about the role that suffering plays in human development, the importance of being true to one’s true self, or how perspective and expectation shape experiences – you are invited to peel a few layers off the onion of existential introspection.”
I highly recommend seeing Hellbent be it for an evening of pure enjoyment or life lessons from a group of demons trying to conjure up and angel. There really is something for everyone. Even if it is just a bag of chips and a hat (you’ll understand once you see it). In a world that is so over Dunne with material things, you will walk away feeling better about yourself and the people around you. And that makes all the difference.
Show runs about 1:15 with an intermission that you don’t want to miss. So, get out to LMP and see Hellbent weekends through October 30. I know I’ll be going back with friends to see it again. Oh, and just to play devil’s advocate, arrive early as parking surely would have been Dante’s 10th ring of hell.
Running Time: Approximately 75 minutes with one intermission
Hellbent plays through October 30, 2022 at Laurel Mill Playhouse— 508 Main Street in the historic district of Laurel, MD. Tickets can only be purchased in advance online.
