by Emily Edelman
In Mark St. Germain’s “Amchitka,” presented by Chester Theatre Company, three scientists at an environmental monitoring station on a remote island in Alaska grapple with the effects of nuclear fallout on the local flora and fauna, the question of extraterrestrial contact, and the complicated interpersonal relationships stemming from both.
This play was presented last year as a staged reading and has undergone many positive changes since then. Director Julianne Boyd has taken subject matter that has the potential to be trite in the wrong hands and given it a compelling and dignified treatment, with character actions and reactions that are thoroughly plausible.
Kelly Lester as Diana in Mark St. Germain’s “Amchitka:, directed by Julianne Boyd, at the Chester Theatre Company. Photo: Andrew Greto. 
Hero Marguerite as Connie and Kelly Lester as Diana in Mark St. Germain’s “Amchitka:, directed by Julianne Boyd, at the Chester Theatre Company. Photo: Andrew Greto. 
Hero Marguerite as Connie and Kelly Lester as Diana in Mark St. Germain’s “Amchitka:, directed by Julianne Boyd, at the Chester Theatre Company. Photo: Andrew Greto. 
Kelly Lester as Diana in Mark St. Germain’s “Amchitka:, directed by Julianne Boyd, at the Chester Theatre Company. Photo: Andrew Greto. 
Will Maizel as Nate, Hero Marguerite as Connie and Kelly Lester as Diana in Mark St. Germain’s “Amchitka:, directed by Julianne Boyd, at the Chester Theatre Company. Photo: Andrew Greto. 
Will Maizel as Nate, Hero Marguerite as Connie and Kelly Lester as Diana in Mark St. Germain’s “Amchitka:, directed by Julianne Boyd, at the Chester Theatre Company. Photo: Andrew Greto. 
Will Maizel as Nate, Hero Marguerite as Connie and Kelly Lester as Diana in Mark St. Germain’s “Amchitka:, directed by Julianne Boyd, at the Chester Theatre Company. Photo: Andrew Greto. 
Will Maizel as Nate, Kelly Lester as Diana, and Hero Marguerite as Connie in Mark St. Germain’s “Amchitka:, directed by Julianne Boyd, at the Chester Theatre Company. Photo: Andrew Greto. 
Will Maizel as Nate in Mark St. Germain’s “Amchitka:, directed by Julianne Boyd, at the Chester Theatre Company. Photo: Andrew Greto. 
Kelly Lester delivers such well-placed subtleties of character that Diana’s shift in focus at the end of Act I is either a surprise or a welcome confirmation, depending upon how one interpreted the information she shared. Hero Marguerite and Will Maizel play the two younger scientists Connie and Nate, and the complexities in their situation of hard work and isolation can be truly felt.
Special mention must be made of the set, which, designed by Brian Prather, could almost function as another character, with its dials and monitors, interactive screens and sound effects and flashing lights — the attention to detail given by lighting designer Lara Dubin and sound designer Raphael Hendrick-Baker make it that much more versatile and expressive.
“Amchitka” runs through Saturday, Aug. 8.
The Chester Theatre Company presents “Amchitka” by Mark St. Germain, directed by Julianne Boyd, from July 24 – August 8 at 15 Middlefield Road in Chester, MA. CAST: Kelly Preston as Diana, Hero Marguerite as Connie, and Will Maizel as Nate. CREATIVE TEAM: Associate Director Jess Diaz Griffin, scenic and video designer Brian Prather, lighting designer Lara Dubin, sound designer Raphael Hendrick-Baker, casting by McCorkle Casting Ltd., stage manager Jeff Meyers.
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