A theological debate on women’s reproductive
rights and sisterly support are in the center of C.
Denby Swanson’s relevant play.
Did
Mary willingly agree to bear Jesus? Did she have a choice? Susan (Jane
Bradley) poses this question to her guests at a weekly Saturday
pot lock dinner, starting a heated, nearly 90-minute debate. C.
Denby Swanson’s timely play, produced by The Drilling Company, is subtitled “A
Polemic” for a good reason. Nearly all the time at the table is spent arguing
about female reproductive rights and the moral grounds of its choices. Four heroines
of the play are bound by the Christian faith and by reproductive issues. But
despite the common ground in the religious beliefs and personal struggles, their
sisterhood is threatened by the single question: Did Mary have free will?
 |
| Jane Bradley, Rachel A. Collins and Brandi Varnell in Gabriel: A Polemic. Photo by Jonathan Slaff. |
As
Susan puts on a hilarious puppet show of the Annunciation, using cutlery for
angel Gabriel and Mary, and a napkin for the Holy Ghost, everybody is anything
but at ease. Jennifer (Elaine Ivy Harris), always with a Bible verse at the tip
of her tongue, strongly disapproves of her sister’s frivolities with the
scripture. Brenda (Rachel Collins), for the most part shadowing Jennifer,
quickly gets overwhelmed from being a cushion between two feisty sisters in a
theological debate. Finally Louise (Brandi Varnell), the “prodigal daughter” of
the group, shows up late, pivoting the dialogue from high religious grounds to
personal choices or the lack thereof.
A
fair amount of time in Gabriel is
spent discussing food and eating. Swanson uses it as another
window to a person’s soul. Jennifer is skilled and proud of her sophisticated
technics. Susan takes equal pride in ordering delivery yet makes a cheesecake
for this particular dinner, which has its grand entrance accompanied by Kubrick’s
Space Odyssey opening theme. The
latter event and the following dynamic physical scene between the two sisters liven
up the play greatly. It is strange, however, to go on with a civilized dinner
and conversation after that.
Gabriel presents an honest and relevant conversation
with witty jokes and compelling characters portrayed by wonderful actresses,
however it might benefit from being shortened. The play is firmly anchored
around the dinner table; a risky move considering how stale such scenes can
look in the theater. However, the layout works, especially in the intimate
space of the North of History gallery, with audience members seated in a single
row around the table, as an outer circle of sisterhood. The director, Hamilton
Clancy, goes along with the realistic dialogue and stages the entire dinner
very subtly, with no unnecessary movement, allowing the words to be heard.
Be
prepared that you won’t see everybody clearly at any given time. My side of the
audience only saw the back of one actress throughout the show, which I actually
found clever. Despite Swanson’s intention for everybody at the table to be
heard, it is likely for the audience to dismiss some of the heroines because of
our personal biases. The random choice of your seat will, in a way, determine
who you will “side with”, making Gabriel’s impact somewhat different for each seat of the house.
__________
Gabriel:
A Polemic plays at North of History, 445 Columbus Ave., through March 26,
2018. The running time is 90 minutes with no intermission. Performances are
Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays at 8, Sundays at 7. Tickets are $25
(general admission) and $20 (seniors and students) and are available by calling
(212) 868-4444 or at smarttix.com. Visit drillingcompany.org for more
information.
Gabriel:
A Polemic is by C. Denby Swanson. Directed by Hamilton
Clancy. It is produced by The Drilling Company. Scenic design is by Jennifer
Varbalow. Lighting and Technical Design is by Eric Nightengale. Dramaturgy is
by Maggie Rothberg. Stage Management is by Niamh Ryan and Denis Hough.
The cast is Jane Bradley, Elaine Ivy Harris,
Rachel Collins and Brandi Varnell.
No comments:
Post a Comment