Things are not always as they appear on the surface, in Taproot Theatre's latest production of British playwright J.B. Priestley's classic mystery, "An Inspector Calls," which follows the suicide of a young woman in the spring of 1912.
The well-off Birling family celebrates the engagement of their daughter Sheila to businessman Gerald Croft, when they are interrupted by the arrival of Inspector Goole. He is investigating the suicide of a young woman, Eva Smith. The family members are initially unphased by the inspector, but as bits of information are revealed and clues are discovered, they grow increasingly uncomfortable and suspect.
The three-act play relays an underlying moral message that everyone is responsible for his or her actions toward one another. The inspector communicates to the family members that their own individual actions could have caused Smith to kill herself. The investigation begins with the father, Arthur who fired Smith when she fought for higher wages at his factory. This is followed by an event involving his daughter Sheila that caused Smith to lose yet another job. A downward spiral of events follows these events for Smith that ultimately led her to drink disinfectant and die.
The inspector, played by Don Brady, acts as a puppet master and the suspects his puppets, manipulating them into giving up information about their associations with the girl. The plot thickens as he interviews each person.
As father, Arthur Birling, Robert Gallaher is a self-centered bully, strong and gruff. As the mother, Sybil, Pam Nolte is poised, but slightly na