Chariots of Fire is great entertainment at the Rosebud Theatre.

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There is an increasingly popular trend of turning films into stage productions, which puts a lot of responsibility on the hand-holding directors.

Fortunately, director Morris Ertman is up to the challenge thanks to the Rosebud Theatre's 1981 Oscar-winning drama Chariots of Fire.

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In Chariots of Fire, British playwright Mike Bartlett, who adapted the script, shifts the focus from the physical endurance of training and competition to the emotional and psychological pressures of the story's two characters.

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Harold Abrahams (Aaron Krogman) was the son of a Lithuanian Jew who understood anti-Semitism at Cambridge not only from some of his students but also from the professors and administrators. He is determined to make his mark as a runner, hoping for their respect and acceptance as an Englishman.

Eric Liddell (Joe Perry) was the son of a Scottish Christian missionary in China who believed that God had given him the gift of speed and decided to use it to glorify the Almighty God. Ironically, Eric's biggest opposition came from his sister, Jenny (Irene Poole), who saw it as an innate insult to compete.

Ertman shows Krogman and Perry how physically demanding competitive running is, which they can do very realistically, but he asks them to show the inner turmoil that everyone faces. Abraham's anger is evident in Krogman's body language. You can feel his muscles tense up during certain remarks, and these emotions register on his face. Perry Liddell shows how hard he works to hold back his anger, but his soft smiles strain.

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Off the road, Abrahams and Liddell aren't real rivals, which lessens the tension in their relationship. While they both reach the Paris Olympics, Liddell will skip the 100m as it is held on Sunday. The scene where Abraham confronts him is one of the most powerful scenes in the play. Abrahams says he never knew if he would have made it if he and Liddell hadn't competed, which is what motivated him to train. You can see Perry watching again because he understands and respects that kind of motivation. It's a great moment for both Krogman and Perry.

Abrahams develops a relationship with Sybil Evers (Emily Howard), a singer with the famous D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. Howard points out how hard it is to share her run, she's the real owner. In Paris, Liddell meets Florence (Hayley Foss), a young Canadian girl, and their relationship plays for simplicity rather than romance and drama.

Ertman fills the cast with unique characters and their performances add color, drama and humor to the production. Great work has been done in creating all the supporting characters.

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There, Austin Halarewicz is the upper-class Lord Andrew Lindsay, Christian Kruschel is Aubrey Montague, Abraham's first and most steadfast friend at Cambridge, and Griffin Cork is Liddell's childhood friend. Mike Thiessen brings genuine pathos to Sam Mussabini, who becomes Abraham's trainer, and Declan O'Reilly excels in every role he plays.

The running sequence is very well done and Ertman's set, while simple, is very functional and visually impressive.

Luke Ertman's original score captures the emotional changes in the play, and his use of songs from Gilbert and Sullivan operettas is to great effect.

Chariots of Fire runs at the Rosebud until May 25. This is an exciting evening of theater not only in its storytelling, but also in its design, direction and acting.

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