Veronica’s Room mucks with your head and turns it inside out. It makes you think about the nature of reality. It disturbs, rattles, and puzzles. It makes you think about false memories and simulations. It’s a deep psychological horror. In a Boston café in 1973, a young woman called “The Girl” aka Susan (Becca Korn) and her date, “Young Man” (Christopher S. Reed), encounter an elderly Irish couple, “The Man” (Vince Terlep) and “The Woman” (Hillary Mazur). The older couple, the Mackeys, look after Cissie, an elderly woman with dementia whose sister Veronica passed away from tuberculosis in 1935. The Mackeys were housekeepers for Veronica’s parents, the Brabissants. Hillary Mazur and Becca Korn in ‘Veronica’s Room.’ Photo by Arindam Dasgupta. The Girl and Young Man are shown the room of the titular Veronica at the Brabissant mansion by the elderly couple. They inform the young couple that Cissie doesn’t remember Veronica is deceased; she believes it is still 1935. The Mackeys persuade Susan to pass for Veronica so Cissie would feel better. That’s the surface of late novelist Ira Levin’s (Deathtrap, Rosemary’s Baby, The Stepford Wives) story in which twisted and evil things happen. I will leave you, my dear reader, to see how far this show descends into madness. The complex onion layers of this story are so intricate that you will be left bewildered, baffled, and mystified. As novelist Stephen King wrote of Levin: “Every novel he has ever written has been a marvel of plotting…he makes what the rest of us do look like those five-dollar watches you can buy in the discount drug stores.” In the hands of Director David Dieudonné, Veronica’s Room is a taut and precise 90 minutes. The performances are flawless. The cues are impeccable. In a play as complicated as this, Dramaturg Diana Forster no doubt helped slice through the multiple layers of Levin’s script. Dialect Coach Gary Sullivan was superb in coaching Terlep’s and Mazur’s Irish accents. Mazur’s performance was a tour-de-force. Her role was pivotal — without it, the credibility of the Brabissant’s family history would have crumbled. This was a WATCH award–worthy performance. Terlep was powerful and frightening as the plot turned dark in the second act; he was cheerful and corny in the first act. Korn made The Girl a sympathetic and naive student of Boston University. As the play began, she was cheerful and lively. Reed’s character arc from the first to the second act was 180 degrees. His character will frighten you. Hillary Mazur, Vince Terlep, Becca Korn, and Christopher S. Reed in ‘Veronica’s Room.’ Photo by Arindam Dasgupta. Costume Designer Jennifer Morrisey gave Reed a cool, paisley shirt and Mazur an elegant black dress. Stephen Welsh’s hair and wig work was evident in the cast’s change from 1973 to 1935 hairstyles. Props and Set Dressing Coordinator Jessica E. Casiano enhanced the play’s mood with creepy baby doll props. Set Designer Jeff Asjes and Master Carpenter Eric Henry made a sturdy set (no door shaking) that had a 1930s feel. Combat Coordinator Todd Fleming made the physicality of the struggles of one of the characters convincing. Intimacy Coordinator Helen Aberger contributed to a disturbing scene. This play is one of the most well-done I’ve seen this year. It’s apropos for Halloween and fodder for nightmares. Running Time: 90 minutes, with a 15-minute intermission. Veronica’s Room plays through September 29, 2024 (Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 pm, Sundays at 2 pm), presented by Rockville Little Theatre performing at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, Rockville Civic Center Park, 603 Edmonston Dr, Rockville, MD. For tickets ($22; $20 for students and seniors), call 240-314-8690 or go online. COVID Safety: Masks optional. Veronica’s Room By Ira Levin CAST The Woman: by Hillary Mazur The Man: by Vince Terlep The Girl: by Becca Korn The Young Man: by Christopher S. Reed PRODUCTION TEAM Director: David Dieudonné Dialect Coach: Gary Sullivan Dramaturg: Diana Forster Costume Designer: Jennifer Morrisey Props & Set Dressing Coordinator: Jessica E. Casiano Hair & Wigs: Stephen Welsh