Lyrical rhythms of Dylan Thomas' radio play come alive on Tremont stage

Upon walking into the Tremont Theatre, which is nothing more than a large open space with tiled floor, it is hard to notice where exactly the stage ends and the audience begins. The Ablaze Theatre Initiative used this wonderful little space for their premiere of Dylan Thomas' last and most famous work, UnderMilk Wood.

Rows of chairs completely surround the elegantly simple set: a bench, a patch of grass, some cobblestone. Other set pieces are placed throughout the rows of chairs, so that once the production begins, the actors are dispersed among the audience. This has the effect of blurring the lines between the actors and the audience, thus adding a new level to the play.

During many scenes where one actor is delivering a monologue, the rest of the actors surround the audience adding short lines or atmospheric sounds that make it feel as if the audience is part of what is going on, rather than simply watching it. In effect, we become members of the town.

This effective set design, envisioned by director Mitchell Sellers, perfectly compliments the style of Under Milk Wood, a hilarious and touching play about a day and night in the life of a small Welsh town called Llareggub. Yet, Thomas' play was originally meant as a radio play, which was often apparent in the production.

The work rests on Thomas' lyric poetry which washes over the audience, carrying earthy imagery and heartfelt emotion. It is the strength and power of this language that makes the play a work of art, but at times some of this power was lost in the acting, making it hard to follow for anyone who is unfamiliar with the prose. It was one of the few plays that work almost as well if you close your eyes.

Yet it is not necessary to catch every single word to still be affected by the play. By offering us a glimpse into the simple minds of the inhabitants of a small Welsh town, showing us their hopes and dreams and secret desires, Thomas reminds us of the essence and uniqueness of human life. While each character goes about their own individual lives, we see their experiences intertwine to form the rich and varied tapestry that is Llareggub.

This adds to the feeling of a collective human consciousness; despite the uniqueness of our own individual dreams, the human ability to think and dream in fact brings us together.

In creating the atmosphere of this small, seaside Welsh town, nine actors portray about seventy different characters. There's old Captain Cat, the blind old sea-dog who will never sail again; Organ Morgan, who never stops practicing the organ; Cherry Owen, who can never be found without a drink, and many others. The different characters are all introduced rather quickly as actors make small costume changes to indicate they have changed roles.

The play begins before dawn as Jeff Gill as the First Voice (narrator) pierces the initial blackout with his powerful voice. As the town sleeps, the dreams of all the characters are revealed through poetic anecdotes. The narrator tells the audience that "from where you are, you can hear their dreams."

At dawn, the town starts to wake up. The narrator then takes us through a typical day, showing the interactions between the different characters as well as their private thoughts toward each other. Coming full circle, the play ends as the characters return to bed and the "rain of dusk brings on the bawdy night."

Through quick character changes, and many different plot lines and anecdotes, the play moves rapidly through the lives of the townsfolk. The result is a rich mosaic of small town Welsh life, full of colorful characters and their vivid experiences.

Because each actor must play more than one part, it is essential the cast be extremely versatile and dynamic. Sellers did a good job of assembling a cast that had little difficulty taking on completely different personas for each of their characters.

Robert Astyk did a wonderful job of subtly changing the timbre of his voice to let us know whether he was Captain Cat, Utah Watkins or any of the other characters he played.

Jeff Gill was superb as the First Voice, among other characters. His rich voice navigated the complexities of Thomas' language and brought the lyricism to life as he narrated the lives of the characters.

Although there was no problem differentiating between different characters a single actor played, oftentimes the lines would get bogged down by the different accents and inflections the actors used. But, because of the rich language and characters, anyone coming to see this production with an open mind and a love of the English language will not be disappointed.

Under Milk Wood is showing at the Tremont Theatre. For tickets call 617-846-SHOW. Two tickets for the price of one with Tufts student ID.