The Florida premiere of the two act drama “The Girl On The Train” at Actors’ Playhouse in Coral Gables will not disappoint fans of both the 2015 novel by British author Paula Hawkins or the 2016 British film starring actress Emily Blunt with the same title. Running through June 8, the two hour play written by Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel proves to be the equal of both the Hawkins novel and the 2016 film. The suspense-filled story centers on Rachel Watson, a troubled woman who is struggling to remember the facts of a murder in Great Britain.
The play revolves around the daily journeys on a train by Rachel (played by actress Gaby Tortoledo), who is a woman of vast contradictions. Rachel says to everyone she meets that she is commuting on a train to go to her job site, but in reality does not have a job. She seeks the refuge of a daily commute on the train to both seek escape from her daily life and also to observe others who she hardly knows in an attempt to discover why a woman named Megan (Allie Beltrain) remains missing.
Rachel displays courage, despite also being a liar as she investigates what happened to Megan over the course of her daily rides on the train. Rachel boldly tells all who listen that she does not consume alcoholic drinks, but then the audience sees Rachel in multiple scenes boozing with a bottle and lying to others about why she is on the train.
From left to right, actors Gregg Weiner (Detective Gaskill) and Gaby Tortoledo (Rachel) star in the two act mystery “The Girl On The Train”, running now through June 8 at Actors’ Playhouse in Coral Gables.
Rachel expresses anger, kindness, rage and warmth to the many characters in the play. Rachel’s multidimensional personality leaves the other characters bewildered, hostile and also kind to her in act two once the events of the mystery start to unravel.
British detective Gaskill (Gregg Weiner) delivers the shocking news by the end of act one that Megan has been murdered and that Rachel is the prime suspect of the crime.
The tension starts to increase in act two, scene by scene as Rachel learns more about her divorced husband Tom (Iain Batchelor) as well as the other characters she has encountered. As expected, the characters and the facts of the murder do not play out in an expected fashion.
Many of the scenes in act two, especially with Rachel and Tom, Rachel and Tom’s wife Anna (Krystal Millie Valdes) and Rachel’s interaction with two strangers that Rachel, Scott (Ryan Didato) and Kamal (Nate Promkul) all help lead Rachel to find more truths and a self-discovery about Megan that leads the conclusion of the play into a highly unexpected ending.
From left to right, actors Iain Batchelor (Tom), Ryan Didato (Scott), Allie Beltran (Megan) and Gaby Tortoledo (Rachel) star in the two act mystery “The Girl On The Train”, running now through June 8 at Actors’ Playhouse in Coral Gables.
The endless banter, tension and blunt dialogue by many of the characters in the play add to the intrigue. The expectations of terror and violence increases as Rachel becomes aware that whoever killed Megan will not hesitate to kill anyone else who knows the truth about her murder.
Actors’ Playhouse director David Arisco helped guide the very talented actors move the story that kept audience members on the edge of their seats until the murderer was found. Standing out in the cast was Tortoledo displaying a wide range of emotions as Rachel. The performances by Batchelor, Beltran, Didato, Valdes and Weiner all shined in their confrontations with Rachel..
Also to be credited are scenic designer Brandon M. Newton, lighting designer Eric Nelson, sound designer Reidar Sorenson, among other behind the scenes personnel at Actors Playhouse for adding to the psychology and tension in the play with the sound effects of a moving train and the dark lighting in the many confrontations Rachel had.
For those who love a whodunit mystery with lots of surprises and tensions, the two act play “The Girl On The Train” is especially moving and memorable.
The Florida premiere of the two act psychological drama “The Girl On The Train” by playwrights Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel is running now through June at Actors’ Playhouse, 280 Miracle Mile in Coral Gables. Tickets range from $40-$80. For tickets and more information, go to actorsplayhouse.org or call 305-444-9293.
