Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – A pair of Off-Broadway plays explore human nature through crises of faith

• By drediman
• February 23, 2016
• No Comments

In about a week, the highly anticipated Broadway revival of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible starts previews at the Walter Kerr Theatre. However, you don’t have to wait for that upcoming production, which is being helmed by red hot Belgian director Ivo van Hove, if you need an immediate theatrical fix of one of The Crucible’s themes: humanity’s fallibility (or resilience) under the weight of religious, societal, or artistic pressures. Luckily, there are currently two interesting Off-Broadway shows on the boards that explore human frailty vis-à-vis some sort of crisis of faith.

First up is Angel Reapers (RECOMMENDED), Martha Clarke and Alfred Uhry’s dance/theater hybrid depicting a Shaker community, which opened this week at Signature Theater. The work is at its most compelling when it moves. Ms. Clarke’s foot-stomping choreography is visceral and hypnotic, at once expressing the uniformity and severity of Shaker life, as well as individual yearnings (particularly of the carnal variety). Many times these forces are at odds, creating dramatic heat and tension that’s highly theatrical. Unfortunately, Mr. Uhry’s “book” imbues the piece with a specificity that too many times breaks the delicate spell cast by the dance. However, the company of eleven is riveting. Their commitment to Ms. Clarke’s physically and emotionally taxing choreography is a collective feat of concentration and trust that’s just thrilling to behold. The luminous Sally Murphy (in fine voice) as Mother Ann Lee, in particular, is giving a truthful, heartbreaking performance that’s completely disarming. The production boasts an immersive and atmospheric design that transports you immediately upon entering the space (scenic design by Marsha Ginsberg, costume design by Donna Zakowska, and lighting design by Christopher Akerlind).

Greg Pierce’s Her Requiem (RECOMMENDED), which also recently opened at Lincoln Center’s Claire Tow Theater, is a fascinating if improbable play about a potential teenage prodigy’s attempt to write a Catholic requiem mass. Like Angel Reapers, Mr. Pierce’s play examines the intersection of the quest for the sublime and the limitations of the mind and body. The production is beautifully and sensitively acted by a cast of six, which does well – along with director Kate Whoriskey – to navigate some of awkward patches in Greg Pierce’s otherwise sharply observed play. As the parents, both Peter Friedman and Mare Winningham are giving moving performances that subtly and skillfully suggest their character’s profound desolation (reminiscent of Reed Birney and Jayne Houdyshell’s impeccable work in Stephen Karam’s extraordinary The Humans, which you should not miss on Broadway). Also like Angel Reapers, Her Requiem boasts a deluxe design, particularly for an Off-Broadway show; Lincoln Center Theater has spared no expense to realize Mr. Pierce and Ms. Whoriskey’s vision (sets by Derek McLane, costumes by Jessica Pabst, and lighting by Amith Chandrashaker).

ANGEL REAPERS
Off-Broadway, Play/Dance
Signature Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center
1 hour, 15 minutes (without an intermission)
Through March 20

HER REQUIEM
Off-Broadway, Play
Lincoln Center Theater at The Claire Tow Theater
1 hour, 30 minutes (without an intermission)
Through March 20