Tis Pity She's a Whore by John Ford

‘Tis Pity She's A Whore at the Empire Theater

Reviewed by Kristina Mannion Backstage West

"Introducing a small measure of excitement to the play, the trio of Scott Caster, Frances Hearn and Jay Michael Fraley demonstrate the best grasp of Ford’s script and characters. Their scenes together also reveal Barton’s tightest direction. Caster’s blond, angelic looks belie a sharply conniving Soranzo, the nobleman who marries Annabella and whose cruel nature intensifies when he learns that she’s pregnant with her brother’s child. Hearn is a fiery, calculating menace as Hippolita, the woman scorned by Soranzo and bent upon revenge. And turning in the production’s finest performance as Soranzo’s callously self-serving servant Vasques, Fraley offers a remarkably balanced and astute portrayal that easily generates an indelible character."