The Fall 2021 Irvington Conservatory Theatre (ICT) play, A Wrinkle in Time adapts the timeless classic by Madeleine L’Engle into a stage play. Running from December 3rd to 11th, A Wrinkle in Time was extremely successful in its retelling of the book, utilizing the creativity of the crew to create wonderful plots, combined with the talented actors who did a wonderful job with storytelling. Even with the limitations of COVID-19 protocol, ICT was able to use the masks as a creative element, using it as an opportunity to include them in costumes.

When I went to watch A Wrinkle in Time on Friday the 10th, I was curious to see how the cast and crew would adapt the whimsical elements found in the 2018 movie and described in the book into a stage play without the use of CGI. The crew did an incredible job with the props, utilizing flashing lights and different colors to change the mood in each scene. The careful placement of props in between scenes helped bring each set to life, with contrast between the eerie, cold planet Camazotz to Meg’s ( Rita Gao (9)) house. The costumes were also well made, especially in a scene juxtaposing the normal and more plain outfits worn by Meg, Charles Wallace (Rahi Vinod (9)), and Calvin, with the eccentric, puffy pink dress worn by Mrs. Whatsit.

ICT’s adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time was also made more successful with the storytelling of the cast, with fantastic performances by all the actors. Gao, playing the main character Meg did an incredible job with the interpretation of their character, with an incredible performance throughout the whole play showcasing the frustrations of Meg, as well as depicting her as a flawed protagonist. LD (Ximitl’s) (10) depiction of IT was also impressive, embodying the eerie and cold personality of IT, but also contrasting how his personality was somehow more human than that of the other civilians on Camazotz. The dynamics between the actors was also well done, and I enjoyed listening to their conversations flow naturally. Each actor did a great job embodying the characters.

The lighting used throughout the play perfectly complemented each scene, with contrasting lighting between the warm lighting throughout the whole stage in the house scenes, to the flashing lights and eventual pitch black darkness when the main characters traveled to different planets. This added to how imaginative the play was, and truly shined a light on how creative the crew was. While it took some time for me to understand each scene and the different elements in it, I think that the crew did the best they could given the physical limitations of holding a play.

Overall, the ICT did a great job adapting A Wrinkle in Time for theater. The cast and crew creativity stood out with each scene, and overall, it was very entertaining and interesting to think about. The coordination between actors, especially with how IT and Charles Wallace sometimes intentionally spoke over each other, was really impressive, as was the coordination between actors in the scene of Mrs.Whatsit as a moving dragon. I really enjoyed watching the fall play this year, and I can’t wait to see what the next ICT play, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, will be like.

Rating: 4.5/5