In Jeffrey Hatcher's 2008 adaptation Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Hyde is represented by four actors, one of them female, but Jekyll's a different actor altogether. It's a challenging idea, which Harlequin Production's director Scot Whitney does a fine job of communicating quickly.  Of Harlequin's four Hydes, I found Mike Dooly's the most memorably swaggering. I was thrown by Caitlin Frances's upbeat charmer, but it's worth pointing out that unlike the monster in most cinematic adaptations, Stevenson's Hyde was actually smaller than Jekyll.  Frank Lawler earns a beatdown as Carew (a snarling douche in Hatcher's version), and Russ Holm is effortlessly charming as Utterson, though his vocalization for Hyde isn't sufficiently distinct.  As for Jekyll, Aaron Lamb's accent is ohf'lly plummeh, and his writhing contortions dip into Hammer-style Grand Guignol. (That's "Hammer," not "hammy.")  More often than not, he suggests a Victorian Palpatine, including skyward cries of "Nooo!"

Read my full review here.

Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

Through Sept. 18, 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, $24-$32
Harlequin Productions, 204 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia
360.786.0151