Review: The Landing Theatre Company's GAMBRELS OF THE SKY Dwells in Possibility

Described as an "urban biblical fairy tale," GAMBRELS OF THE SKY, the Landing Theatre Company's current production, catches us up with Eve (I did say biblical, didn't I?), six thousand years removed from the garden.

She now works in a high-rise, specializing in office-based hedonism, with Rose, the second, and September, a former accountant who went looking for trouble and found it.

Their office resides in a parallel dimension, one we're dropped right into as the play opens. It is populated by the fantastic - fairies, sprites, dragons - and the mundane. (The office has desks and chairs, a water cooler, and also a portal between worlds.) It is in this world of magic and possibility that Eve (Cheramie Hopper) sets out to conjure a man, Rose (Cindy Lou Parker) brings in a troublesome sprite, and September (Shelby Marie) begins to undergo a curious transformation.

GAMBRELS OF THE SKY is a new work from Houston playwright Elizabeth A.M. Keel, though not the first to employ mythic, supernatural elements to such great effect. The ingenious jumping-off point and the uniqueness of the world are undeniable. It is a world, by the way, thoughtfully realized by scenic designer/prop master Clinton Hopper and costume designer Clair Hummel. The office is collaged and cluttered, a Bohemian enclave seemingly put together by worldly '80s babies, an image of Harley Quinn not far from the Virgin Mary. The costumes are distinct; from Eve's ancient Egyptian-inspired garb to Rose's DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN-era ensemble to September, outfitted like a young Indiana Jones. And that's not to mention Hummel's intriguing design for the sprite, Dog (Callina Situka).

Director Leighza Walker clearly had a vision for this production and shepherded her charges through it, coaxing some stellar performances from her actors in the process. Hopper, Parker and Marie carry much of the show on their shoulders, and they do it well. Hopper is the show's anchor, but Marie is its constant. Parker is a welcome, bubbly-voiced, cheeky presence. Situka, sidling up to the women with all the confidence of a person who knows something you don't, imbues a seemingly reptilian creature with warm-blooded passion. And also Jason Duga, who enters as the show's most mysterious character, Shadow. Who is this man? Is he Adam, the Morning Star, someone who just wants to watch the world burn? Whoever he is, Duga is a threatening, lurking presence on stage.

Walker, her actors, and the design team (including lighting designer Thomas Murphy and Sound Designer Travis Ammons), highlight and honor Keel's impressive world-building. And it is quite impressive, as is Keel's willingness to let the audience acclimate to her tale as it is, resisting the urge to simplify or over-explain. Unfortunately, that willingness extends to a fault.

Keel defies expectations and, in doing so, walks an ambiguous line. The show's inherent critique, and the empathy garnered by Hopper (in an incredibly moving monologue at the show's end), are undermined by the show's seemingly reactionary elements. For example, one character has a lot of sex. She's a prostitute. Does she like sex? I thought so. But the show, in no uncertain terms, punishes her, giving her the magical equivalent of an STI and sending her home in sweatpants sans makeup. And yes, the plot centers in part around a quest to create a man, but that's just a means to an end - like female friendship ends up being too. The end? To gain the acceptance (forgiveness? approval?) of the ultimate patriarchal figure.

"This is not a story about love," cries one character at the play's climax. So I ask - if it's not about love, not about female empowerment, and it's not about sisterhood, then what is GAMBRELS OF THE SKY about?

Regardless, GAMBRELS OF THE SKY is a thought-provoking piece of theatre. It is engaging and well-acted, and the concept may be the most unique we'll see all year. For that alone, you should take the chance and go see it this weekend. And if you have an answer to my question, let me know.

GAMBRELS OF THE SKY continues this weekend at the Landing Theatre Company, 1119 Providence St. For more information and tickets, visit landingtheatre.org.

To post a comment, you must register and login.