As the nemeses of The Duel, Bornstein and Collins make distinctive foils of Burr and Hamilton — the reed-thin Bornstein is alternately seductive and rabid, lyrical and biting, while Collins is solid in both build and temperament. There’s a sort of sensationalist, History-Channel quality to the staging of their conflict, which includes blue and red gels and a modern, synthesized soundscape (composed by Jose Duque) that rises as conflict looms.
This style, coupled with Kelly’s meticulous historical lessons and allusions, has the effect of making the action of The Duel feel less like a drama than a dramatization. It’s an imaginative and edifying show, but would have greater emotional power if it grounded us more intimately in the popular attitudes behind its larger, national duel. That said, Kelly’s script is ambitious and well-informed. His work is a provocative look at a movement that has managed to elude the American cultural memory, even as incarnations of its sentiments live on.
The Duel, by James Patrick Kelly | directed by Blair Hundertmark | produced by the New Hampshire Theatre Project, at the West End Studio Theatre | through January 22 | 603.431.6644, ext 5
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Megan Grumbling: mgrumbling@hotmail.com
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Theater
, Entertainment, Armed Forces, Performing Arts, More 
, Entertainment, Armed Forces, Performing Arts, Theater, Theatrical Plays, Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, Blair Hundertmark, Thomas Olson, New Hampshire Theatre Project, Less 
