Jeffrey Hatcher is best known for his work Compleat Female Stage Beauty, a play-turned-movie that examines the changing nature of theatre through the lens of a queer protagonist used to playing female roles. His further body of work includes everything from a work in the then-incredibly-current Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays to several adaptations of classic work. Turn of the Screw, being presented by Chameleon Theatre Circle at the Ames Center through december 20, falls into the latter category of Hatcher’s works; for those who are fans of the first two shows mentioned, there is plenty content and subtext in this show to satisfy you.

Henry James’ turn of the century story about a governess who gets more than she bargained for as her new charges bring her into a dangerous world of secrets centered around various forms of sexual repression and oppression gets new life with this stage adaptation. From the moment we see the ethereal governess, played expertly by Laura Hoover, we are filled with trepidation as she enters a stark set where her other performer (played by Mark L. Mattison), the set, and lighting shifts are her only crutches to help tell this story. Aside from the master of the house who hires her, Mattison also plays one of her charges, Miles — a schoolboy who has been kicked out of school for being “different,” and Mrs. Grose, the manor housekeeper. As the story unfolds we see the governess go from an overeager new employee to a terrified but determined woman bent on the truth while others in the story want to maintain the household’s serene facade. Told in the framework of her diary entries that lead into separate scenes, we see her discover the disturbed spirits of the former governess and the man she was having an affair with, and we see the secrets of their death and motivations unfurl. As the 90 minute show continues, we see her lose her grip on this new horrifying reality, then take charge, forcing Miles to inform her why he was kicked out of school, forcing Mrs. Grose out of the house, yet ultimately losing the upper hand in the action.

This show is primarily about sexual repression and loss of innocence. As the show starts we think this is going to be rooted in the tragic love story that led to the unseen characters’ deaths, and is perhaps mirrored in the story the protagonist goes through. It is largely found in these parts of the story, but it also shows up as we examine the danger of othering children and pushing one’s mistakes off on them. It could be argued that Miles’ perceived vulnerability after being asked to leave his prestigious school enables these spirits to disturb and seemingly possess him so easily, just as his sister’s weakness — after seeing the old governess dead — likely made her more susceptible to the spirits’ plan. Where the show’s thematic goals are concerned, this show is certainly effective. Laura Hoover did such a wonderful job as the governess I have trouble picturing anyone else in the role. Mark L. Mattison moves easily between his very different roles, and manages to play Mrs. Grose without resorting to over the top stereotypes of women or men in drag. This is aided by the lack of drag — costumes stay the same throughout the show — but is still worth noting because it is apparently a difficult feat to achieve effectively.

The lighting is subtly designed to show the difference between when things are at ease, when the stress of the situation has begun wearing on the governess, and when characters are being influenced by the show’s supernatural elements. This play is also effective in general in showcasing horror on stage. Using a bare stage is frequently more successful than using a busier one for this genre, and while there was a smartly used staircase and sitting area, the rest of the stage was blank. This made things eerie no matter where we were in the story. Not every show works in a blackbox theatre like the one in which the Ames Center that Chameleon Theatre Circle does the bulk of their work, but Turn of the Screw was seemingly written precisely for such a space.

Not all of the conventions used in Turn of the Screw are as successful, however. While the absence of many pre-recorded sounds is spooky in theory, Mattison making sounds such as footsteps and water dripping was actually really distracting throughout the performance. I’m not sure if this was the script or a choice by the production, but even more distracting was when Mattison said what the sound effect was before doing it. For example, the spoken “footfall” was followed by the sound of footsteps. While the concept of having lights follow the performers was interesting — at least on the night I watched the show — it also made it difficult for actors to find their light. At times, we had performers completely in shadow or rushing to keep up with the light shifts. I know firsthand how tight timelines are during technical rehearsals, but this is an element that needed quite a bit more work before it was ready.

Director Benjamin Kutschied conceptualized this show wonderfully. It is so easy to go awry with horror on stage, and for the most part those of us in the audience stayed sucked in and spooked. The show is cast perfectly, and the sparse but beautiful set and costumes worked well to aide the characters in their journey. Not every element utilized served the show well, unfortunately, and there were moments that we were taken out of as a result. Mattison and Hoover manage to pull us back in with plenty of time for the final moments of fear and heartbreak, making this show a solid option for those needing an escape from holiday festivities this December. This story of sexual repression, several of the secrets uncovered, and theme of loss of innocence will appeal to Compleat Female Stage Beauty Hatcher fans, and the faithfulness to source material, and overall eeriness will easily win over those looking for something closer to his adaptation of Sherlock Holmes or Murder by Poe. Even if you’re not familiar with Hatcher’s other work, fans of both gothic literature as well as modern art riddled with queer and offbeat sensibilities will enjoy this show.

Turn of the Screw by Jeffrey Hatcher runs Thursday-Sunday at the Ames Center in Burnsville, Minn., through December 20th.