SEASON 13 ARCHIVE | March 2001

review

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Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities
by Kirk Smith | Presented by VORTEX

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Kirk Smith's adept take on Dickens' monumental tale of a world turned upside down in Revolutionary France is as fresh as it is honest. This adaptation molds the immense detail of a story in which two men's lives intertwine with an almost star-crossed duality into a satisfying, accessible vehicle, complete with Paris mobs, storm-swept highways, crowded streets, and treacherous courtrooms. Best of all, it's done briskly, without the burdensome trappings and extravagant indulgences that curdle other adaptations.

"Kirk Smith has pulled the disparate parts of Dickens' long, tortuously wrought plot together with a mix of verve and passion, intimacy and grandeur. All the elaborate extras are unnecessary when you pare down to such immediate raw storytelling.” -- The Austin Chronicle

“As Paris rages and riots with the drama of the Terror, it's Smith's script that's the real star here. Smith has done an excellent job of capturing Dickens' masterful literary style and his intricate and complex brand of storytelling.” --Citysearch.com