End Days

At the Phoenix Theatre tonight I saw the opening performance of a new play by Deborah Zoe Laufer called "End Days." It is a "rolling world premiere," which means, I think, that it is being fully and professionally produced for the first time simultaneously at three theatres: the Phoenix here in Indy, the Florida Stage in Manalapan, Florida, and the Curious Theatre in Denver. Bryan Fonseca directed it here.

I was there tonight "as a citizen" (thanks, Sharon Gamble, for the term!) rather than as a member of the IA review team because I knew I wouldn't have time to write a formal review of any show until after next weekend. However, I am planning to see this show again on Sunday, January 20 because a) I loved its humor and its gentle yet candid exploration of spiritual and existential questions and b) the playwright is going to be in town that day and will be available at nearby "Henry's on East" coffee shop for discussion after the 2:00 show. If no one else on the IA review team has reviewed this show before then, I will write a formal review then.

But in the meantime I just want to say quickly that I alternated crying and laughing all night in the theatre this evening and again all the way home in the car. I am thinking of contacting my church, even though I haven't been to services in over a year, to see if we can get a group together to go see this. Diane Hayes, I can't remember your IA nickname, but if you happen to read this post, do you think you would be able to help me organize a group from St. Paul's to go see this? I want every Episcopalian friend I have to see it, not because it is "an Episcopalian show" (it is much bigger than that) but because we pride ourselves, I think, on being open to experiencing and discussing the full mystery that is God, as well as being deliberate and liturgical in our worship of Him.

Actually, I want to take every friend or acquaintance of whatever faith or lack thereof with whom I have ever had a late-night conversation about the nature of God and/or the nature of the Universe, anyone with whom I have ever explored the whole faith/science thing, starting with several people in my freshman dorm years ago.

I want to take every college student that I know NOW to go see this show, too, before their winter break ends and they have to go back to school. This weekend is the Cheap Seats weekend!

I want to travel into the future and bring back my godson. He is now only two years old, but this would be a perfect show to see with him when he is 15 or 20, as a starting point for sharing our own experiences of God, and our own questions. For me, the Holy Spirit was present several times in this show, even though it was never described as such, and my belief system values this part of our three-in-one God as much as the other two.

I also want to take every parent and every child who have ever engaged in power struggles with each other, especially struggles over what to believe or how to behave.

But as I say, this is not a preaching show. It is well-done art that respectfully and joyfully explores the big questions as they come up in the lives of four invidivuals. It is not about any one, final belief system. It is NOT about putting anyone down.

And aside from the spiritual and scientific material, I love that this show is about FOUR quirky, strong characters, who ALL go through big changes in their understanding of...everything. If you go see this show, be sure to take a moment and read the email interview that Phoenix Managing Director Sharon Gamble did with the playwright. It is printed out in the lobby. Laufer says something about loving plays in which all of the characters change, not just the one main character. I love that this happens in "End Days."

I love that this is a play about a nuclear family...and atomic nuclei (sp? plural of "nucleus"?)

Matthew Van Oss plays a geeky, brilliant young nerd, Nelson, who always wears a sparkly Elvis suit (excellent costume design by Karen A. Witting) and who is converting to Judaism because that's what his new stepfather wants. Nelson is love with Rachel (played by Phebe Taylor) who is the epitome of a brilliant and rebellious goth.

When Nelson compulsively follows Rachel home we learn that her mother, Sylvia (played by Martha Jacobs) has a relatively new relationship with Jesus that is so personal that the incarnate Jesus even hands her sweetner for her coffee, giving new meaning to the expression, "Thank You, Jesus!"

Rachel's father (Bill Simmons) hasn't been out of the house or even out of his bathrobe in weeks. I almost didn't recognize the usually breathtakingly handsome Simmons at first, he did such a good job of playing a heavily depressed man. The first time I was moved to tears in the play was when Simmons shows the powerfully healing effect that Nelson's practice of his Torah portion has on him.

Matthew Roland plays Sylvia's Jesus companion with the most specifically expressive eyelids I have ever seen. He also very effectively portrays Rachel's Stephen Hawking companion, manuevering both his wheelchair and his mechanical voice with poise and wit.

There are a lot of great lines in this play, too. Oh, yes, I am definitely going to go see this one again. I'll try to be more polished in my comments later, but I appreciate the opportunity to just babble a bit here and now.

"End Days" runs at the Phoenix through February 3.
__________________
-- Amaryllis Jones

"But Amaryllis! Should I go see this show or not?" "OF COURSE you should go see this show! Go see it and form your own opinion."