By John Lyle Belden

“Gaslight” (a/k/a “Angel Street”), the Victorian thriller from the 1930s by Patrick Hamilton, is a rather straightforward story of deception, abuse, and murder. However, with the help of its 1940s film adaptations, the title is now a frequently used verb. Center Stage Community Theatre in Lebanon now brings us the original story, both to entertain and to give the pop-psych expression its context.

Jack and Bella Manningham (Daniel Ott and Stephanie Levell) do not have a healthy relationship, even by 1880s London standards. He controls her like a pet on a leash, not physically but with a more devastating verbal barrage, undercutting her self-confidence at every turn, making her uncertain of everything around her. He berates her in front of the servants, Elizabeth (Sarah Kennedy) and Nancy (Lauren Lotzow), and remarks on the beauty of the latter, a young woman whom it turns out he is secretly seducing.

And if Bella expresses her reservations about all this, she is reminded that her mother had gone mad, dying in Bedlam. It’s only a matter of time, he hints and she believes in constant fear, before she goes that way as well.

One night, a strange man (Adrian Blackwell) with a friendly yet urgent demeanor and a Scottish accent arrives while Jack is out for the evening, calling himself Rough, a former Sergeant and current Detective with Scotland Yard. He tells her of mysterious circumstances regarding the home they had not long ago moved into, how it was the site of a murder, coinciding with the disappearance of some precious jewels. In turn, she tells him her suspicions – how she hears footsteps in a locked room, and how the gas lighting dims on its own at certain times.

Given the mental baggage we bring in with the play’s title, especially given our present cynical era, we have to wonder: Is Det. Rough a real person? Is he an actual police officer? Is this Bella’s hope of rescue – or just prelude to institutionalization? And to what degree are the maids, especially eager Nancy, part of the plot?

Considering that clues such as a chair moved out of place could tip off Jack, his poor wife could be doomed, regardless.

Directed by Lori Raffel, the performances maintain the suspense and unreal nature of what is happening, keeping us invested in the outcome. Ott is consistently horrid, played in a way that we can’t be certain of Jack’s exact motive of driving Bella insane – lust, riches, sadism, or some combination. Blackwell, for his part, feels unreliable but at the same time Bella’s only real hope. Levell delivers an achingly compelling presentation of someone so mentally beaten while still nursing a little spark of hope. Kennedy is stoic as a stereotypical British butler, making her feelings and motives inscrutable, while Lotzow is the opposite, enjoying this twisted game.

The titular lights are part of a nice stage design by Christy Summersett and David Wines.

In all, this is an excellent look at a classic thriller, right down to the appropriately disturbing final scene.

Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise; you would like to see “Gaslight.” It is in its second weekend as we post this, concluding Friday through Sunday, May 15-17, at 604 Powell St., Lebanon. Get info and tickets at centerstagecommunitytheatre.com.