'Machinal' at CSUS makes us feel cogs' pain

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'MACHINAL'
• Rating: * * * *
• Where: Studio theater, California State University, Stanislaus, 1 University Circle, Turlock
• When: 2 p.m. today, 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Oct. 25
• Running time: 2 hours, including an intermission

TURLOCK — In the machine-driven, cold society of "Machinal," there isn't much room for joy.

The 1928 play, now running at California State University, Stanislaus, presents a gripping story of a young woman driven to a horrible act after she is pushed into roles she doesn't want to fill.

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Written by the Bay Area's Sophie Treadwell in an expressionist style, the play is intended to convey inner emotions rather than realistic situations. Director Jere O'Donnell gets the style exactly right, creating a gloomy world that's reminiscent of the 1927 silent film "Metropolis."

Eric Broadwater's industrial set features exposed pipes, wires and harsh lights that ominously flash periodically.

Jonathan Singer (costumes) and Caroline Mercier (hair and makeup) re-create the styles of the Prohibition era, from flapper dresses to short, bobbed hairstyles.

Through nuanced facial expressions and body language, Kelly Ruelas conveys deep sadness as Helen Jones, the central character of "Machinal." When the show opens, she works as a secretary in a noisy office filled with the staccato sounds of typewriters and adding machines.

Ruelas shows Helen's anxiety and despair as she envisions being on a never-ending treadmill of going to work, coming home and going back again with no relief.

When her pompous boss (Parker Cushing) proposes to her, she accepts, not because she loves him but because of the financial support he will offer her and her impoverished mother (Elizabeth Holzman). All women have to get married sooner or later, Helen reasons, so it might as well be to him.

But marriage and the baby who soon comes offer her only more sadness. It isn't until she meets the attractive young man Dick Roe (Garrett Neely) at a speakeasy that she finally experiences some happiness. She loves his sweet talk and romance — while it lasts.

Much of the dialogue is intentionally robotic and repetitive. Helen's husband speaks in empty clichés that have been programmed into him.

Acting as if they are interchangeable cogs in a giant machine, all the cast members play multiple roles, including supporting actors Stefanie Baker, Eric Braojos and Mike Noonan.

This is an exceptional production for its attention to detail and consistency in the visual and acting style. With its off-kilter, edgy tone, this production offers a theatrical experience unlike any other you're likely to have in this region.

For more on Modesto area arts, visit www.twitter.com/lisamillegan or thehive.modbee.com/artsbeat.