BRIDE OF THE TORNADO

Edginess and tension are palpable from the get-go in Jesse Vilinsky's high-octane performance of this gothic horror. An unnamed teenage girl recounts her experience of meeting and then growing attracted to a strange teenage boy whose job as a "tornado killer" is to keep a plague of tornadoes away from her Midwestern town. Vilinsky fully embodies the angst, fear, and empathy the girl feels for the tornado killer as she realizes she hates her life in the town and considers running away with him. The frequent moments of rising tension and release in the story are paralleled by Vilinsky's delivery. The story's climax takes place when the girl comes to realize what the town expects from her and what her future will be if she stays there. S.D.B. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2023]