BWW Reviews: WHIPPING MAN Leaves its Mark

Lost faith and fractured relationships are among the casualties of the Civil War in the Gallery Players and New Players Theater production in the Columbus premiere of the drama THE WHIPPING MAN.

The two-hour Civil War drama closes May 12 at the Jewish Community Center.

It's easy to see how THE WHIPPING MAN attracted a host of awards, including the Obie, Lucille Lortel and Drama Desk awards in 2010. Matthew Lopez's script is riveting with moments of levity breaking up could be a very dark work. Lopez, a staff writer on Aaron Sorkin's HBO series "The Newsroom," does a marvelous job in drawing parallels between the slaves' plight during the Civil War and the Jewish slaves' Passover journey when fleeing Egypt.

Combine that script with stand-out performances by the three-person cast of Bryant Bentley, Chris Tucci and Christopher Austin and you have a winning production.

THE WHIPPING MAN is set in Richmond, VA. during the closing days of the Civil War. Simon (Bentley), a recently emancipated slave, lives in The Remains of his former master's house while waiting for his wife Sarah and daughter Elizabeth to return with the rest of DeLeon family. Simon's Jewish faith he picked up from his former owner gives him a sense of optimism in the otherwise bleak setting.

Simon's wait is interrupted by the return of Caleb DeLeon (Tucci), the slave owner's son and captain in the Confederate Army. DeLeon has been badly injured in battle and eventually Simon must amputate his leg so DeLeon can survive. Caleb's faith in God, like his leg, is lost to the Civil War. Tucci does a fantastic job of portraying a man who reluctantly accepts his former slaves as equals while depending on them for his care.

Add into the mix John (Austin), another former DeLeon slave who loots valuables from neighbors' abandoned houses. In each scene of the play, the sparse stage becomes filled with the different items John "found" or "liberated" from the neighbor's homes. However Austin provides a sense of humor to the play but also amps up the intensity when he confronts Tucci's character about the treatment he received at the hands of the DeLeon family.

Each man reveals dark secrets that affect the other two as Simon prepares a meager Seder feast with the supplies John procured. All these lead up to an unexpected ending.

THE WHIPPING MAN has only a three-member cast but the script and the performances of the three actors make the show seem much bigger and much richer than that number.

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