THE HIDING PLACE

Corrie ten Boom was the leader of the Dutch Underground during WWII. This play, adapted from her classic memoir, is staged expertly. Sound effects ground readers in space--a dog's yelp, the ticking of 10 watches--and guide emotional response. Each voice comes through clearly, and characters are differentiated from one another--including minor ones. One can even tell each character’s location in space and how he or she is interacting. The writing and directing, however, are more limited. Though this is a story of real heroes whose faith compelled them to hide Jews from the Nazis, they seem flattened, like characters in a melodrama, and, therefore, not quite believable. G.T.B. 2006 Audie Award Winner © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/ MAY 06]