BuffaloTheater: Dan Brown’s novel poses challenges for the stage

By Bella Poynton

I was in high school when Dan Brown’s novel, The Da Vinci Code, came out in 2003. At the time, I was fascinated by all things Catholic mythology and dark academia. When I read the book, I was absolutely transported.

As I was already being a huge science fiction lover, The Da Vinci Code fit beautifully into that rich world of mystery, magic, and speculation. The book was so unbelievably successful that we did not have to wait terribly long for the 2006 film adaptation, starring Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou, which became the second highest-grossing film worldwide that year. While Dan Brown has had other career victories (his new book, The Secret of Secrets is excellent), I have not seen any further screen adaptations of his work lately. So, when I heard that David Oliver would be directing a stage version of The Da Vinci Code at Road Less Traveled Productions, I was incredibly excited to see it!

RLTP is the perfect theatre in Buffalo to take on this particular show. I remember thinking this title would be a great challenge; The Da Vinci Code is based so deeply in location, visualization, and movement. Audience members would need to be able to see the paintings, travel to the beautiful locations, and understand the visual puzzles at the center of the mystery. How on Earth would all that be translated to the stage? Well, I am happy to report that the production is something of a technical masterclass and extravaganza.

Kate Menke’s sound and projection design is fabulous. Dyan Burlingame’s set seems built with projections in mind; the audience is shown, with projections, exactly what they need to see when they need to see it. For example, in the opening moments, when Robert Langdon gives us a bit of his lecture, we see film-like projections of the Vitruvian Man, the apple symbol, and a cross. It is a wonderful moment of technical mastery that immediately establishes the visual language of the production. Burlingame’s set design works in conversation with the projections, allowing the action to move between famous cathedrals, catacombs, and museums without requiring complicated scenic changes. RLTP is definitely on the cutting edge of what can be done with this kind of technology.

Chris Avery is excellent as Robert Langdon. A role so heavily associated with a famous actor (in this case, Tom Hanks,) is hard to take on, but Avery does a spectacular job of making the part his own. Avery is crisp in his choices, playing an incredibly intelligent but also self-deprecating professor who never seems overly impressed with his own intellect. He is perhaps a little too young and dapper for the role, but I thought he did excellent work.

Lissette DeJesús-Wrafter is perfect as Sophie Neveu, a challenging role that comes with an enormous amount of exposition. Sophie is constantly talking about her grandfather, what he told her, what he wanted her to learn, and what she remembers from childhood. Frequent immersion in memory and description can be difficult for an actor, but DeJesús-Wrafter is such an evocative storyteller that we are with her the entire time. There is no denying that the script has a deeply cinematic structure, incorporating flashbacks assisted by film and projection, but director David Oliver makes the smart decision not to hide this quality. Instead, he embraces it, allowing the characters to revel in memories while the projections make those memories visible.

David Lundy plays Jacques Saunière, Sophie Neveu’s grandfather, who exists largely outside the present moment of the story. The character grounds our heroine’s journey and allows her to remember the past in an active way. Lundy does not have an enormous amount of dialogue, but brings a calming presence to the production, guiding Sophie’s journey as she unravels the mystery of her family.

Johnny Barden is another strong choice as Silas. This is a character who could easily spill over into camp, given the intensity of his religious devotion and the brutality of his actions. But Barden is deeply committed to the role, keeping Silas grounded and even vulnerable at times. I appreciated that the playwrights gave us enough backstory to understand Silas as someone desperately looking for belonging and purpose. Barden’s performance helps us understand that need, even as the character becomes increasingly frightening.

Priscilla Young-Anker is lovely as Sister Sandrine. She does excellent physical work, especially when confronted by Barden’s Silas. The scene carries a genuine threat of violence, and Young-Anker is particularly effective, finding strength and dignity in a moment of tremendous danger. Gabriella McKinley is also delightful as André Vernet, the bank employee who helps Langdon and Sophie access the mysterious lockbox. McKinley only appears in a few scenes but creates a believable and memorable character immediately. A consummate professional, McKinley also brings some welcome comic relief to the evening.

Dave Marciniak is a delight as Sir Leigh Teabing. He brings a fabulous of intelligence, humor, and authority to the role of this wealthy, highly educated man who knows absolutely everything about Leonardo da Vinci, art history, and the secrets of the Holy Grail. In fact, Marciniak is so incredibly likable as an actor that I momentarily forgot Teabing was actually the villain of the story! I knew the plot, of course, but I was so taken in by his performance that when the revelation came, I found myself genuinely surprised all over again. This is a real credit to Marciniak’s work.

There is not an enormous amount of comedy in The Da Vinci Code, but the production does opportunities for levity throughout. Russell Holt as Bezu Fache and Sandra Roberts as Agent Collet have several amusing moments, while Nick Stevens does excellent work as Rémy Legalec, Teabing’s exasperated butler, who initially functioning as comic relief before his true intentions become clear. The early rapport between Stevens and Marciniak is very funny, and Stevens balances the character’s humor with the more sinister elements of the role.

Finally, I loved the revelation that Sophie’s brother was still alive at the end of the play. After spending so much of the evening following clues, decoding historical mysteries, and looking at projections, the production ends with a wonderfully human reunion between family members. Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel’s adaptation makes the smart decision to allow this moment to become fully theatrical. Rather than the sweeping visual revelations of the film, the stage version gives us a living, breathing person who represents Sophie’s lineage, but with whom she can also literally reconnect. It is a cathartic moment that gives the audience a genuine emotional payoff after all the intellectual excitement of the evening.

Overall, The Da Vinci Code is a great treat for anyone who loved Dan Brown’s original novel, enjoys mysteries, or has a fondness for hyper-intellectual stories involving history, mythology, or religion. Particular kudos go out to everyone involved in the technical elements of this show, especially Katie Menke for the extraordinary projection work and Dyan Burlingame for the scenic design. I was genuinely blown away by what the team accomplished. David Oliver deserves heavy praise for putting together a production that embraces the technical challenges of adapting such a cinematic story rather than shying away from them!

The play is running at Road Less Traveled through tomorrow (Oct. 18).

Dr. Bella Poynton is a playwright, dramaturg, actor and theater historian from Buffalo. She teaches at SUNY Oswego.