Theories abound on the essence of theater, from Aristotle’s “Poetics” to Marshall McLuhan’s “Culture Is Our Business,” but we all trace the art form back to the tribal rituals that – using masks, drums, dance, song and narrative – interpreted the workings of the universe.
In Paragon Theatre’s world premiere of Ellen K. Graham’s “How We May Know Him,” we are challenged by a level of discourse and action of such arcane remoteness that even after reading the director’s notes explaining the symbolic forces at work, we are left without a notable emotional transformation, despite the well-drawn performances of the principals and the chorus.
Val, in her long, plain, gray wool dress, looms like a prophet from some old-world religious sect in the dreams of the Female Chorus. She preaches a fundamentalist message that she carries forward from this collective dream into the lives of three very different women, throwing them into chaos, which she represents.
Drawing on an archetype right out of “American Gothic,” Emily Paton Davies’ Val is chilling in her relentless, flat-lined determinism, gaining converts for her movement by having them hand-copy her own handwritten autobiography.
One of her first disciples is Wren, the lesbian housewife of Nicola, who’s away on business. Like her name, Barbra Andrews’ Wren takes flight quickly with her newfound raison d’être, foisting her copy of Val’s saintly memoir on a passerby. Andrews hits all the right notes in symbolizing the innocent element of the female psyche, falling naturally into childlike reverie and excitation as she extols Val’s message.
When reason, in the form of Nicola, returns home, she finds her world upside down and sets out to discover the cause. Suzanne Favette brings a fierce, calculating edge to Nicola, whose private security-oriented job provides her with some insight to Val’s secretive power.
Graham’s writing takes a comedic turn in the form of Simone, a commercial actress of a certain age who represents the disillusioned aspect of the quartet. Gina Wencel’s larger-than-life portrayal lightens up the proceedings, particularly the hilarious sequence involving her nose job.
Val’s life can be seen as a rough representation of Jesus’ story with a feminine twist, including the insinuation of miracles and an alternate reality beyond this life and parallels to Judas’ betrayal and the crucifixion, but it is just one aspect of a larger metaphor for a psyche struggling to come to make sense of a world gone haywire.
For audiences to make sense of this, though, some clarifying scenes involving Nicola’s relationship with the Male Chorus and Wren’s relationship with the Female Chorus are needed. Cinematic in its short scenes and episodic plot lines, “How We Shall Know Him” also needs to eliminate the excruciating blackouts between scenes to return some emotional continuity to the story. With these changes, perhaps the characters will matter to us.
Bob Bows also reviews theater for Variety, for KUVO/89.3 FM, and for his own website, www.ColoradoDrama.com. He can be reached at BBows@ColoradoDrama.com.
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| “How We May Know Him”
DRAMA|Phoenix Theater, 1124 Santa Fe Drive|Presented by Paragon Theatre|written by Ellen K. Graham|Directed by Wendy Franz|Barbra Andrews, Emily Paton Davies, Suzanne Favette, Gina Wencel|THROUGH MAY 19|Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm|2 hours|$17-$19|303-300-2210
