BWW Reviews: THE BEAMS ARE CREAKING - A Compelling Character Study

The Beams are Creaking is a dramatic representation of the tumultuous life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a man who became a Christian martyr of Nazi resistance because of his unyielding faith. Bonhoeffer is a German pastor who tried to assassinate Hitler, but is ultimately a more complex character than one may expect given that information. This is where the A.D. Players and Douglas Anderson, the playwright, step in and deliver a compelling character study of the infamous theologian.

The historical context of the piece is portrayed and handled very well by the cast. The opening scenes are tinged with subtle humor, appearing in the dramatic irony and foreshadowing of the delivered lines. Each member of the A.D. Players cast does a superb job showing the utter disbelief of the thinking person in Hilter’s ability to come to power. After Hitler is elected, they continue to show their skepticism that Hitler can do the horrible things that are whispered and rumored throughout Germany. Each member of the cast says, “This couldn’t happen in Germany” at least once, truthfully showing the zeitgeist of the times before the end of the 1936 Summer Olympics.

As the play transitions into the heavier and darker thematic elements of the performance, the cast transitions well and continues to perform with conviction. The cast is adept in emotional performances, showing the weight and severity of every action from the plotting of the assassination of Hitler to the decision of Bonhoeffer’s sister and Jewish brother-in-law to flee to London.

However, it is in these scenes and during the second act that Kevin Dean as Dietrich Bonhoeffer ultimately shows off his impeccable chops as an actor. Staying on stage for most of the duration of the show and delivering lengthy monologues, he never once shows a sign of fatigue, nor does he slip out of character. His portrayal of Bonhoeffer is sincere and dynamic. He easily illustrates the crisis of faith that Bonhoeffer experiences and his ultimate decision and conviction to stay steadfast in his faith, making the themes about faith easy for the audience to understand and digest. Unfortunately, Anderson’s writing takes the subtlety out of this wonderfully delivered thematic element from the fist act by overdoing it in the second act. Regardless, Dean’s performance truthfully conveys the idea that when any person allows their religion to become just an obligation and something they only talk about, they lose the moral guidance of religion. Therefore, Anderson’s Bonhoeffer implores the audience to make religion a priority in life and not let it become something you only do on Sunday for an hour or so.

The writing of the play, by no fault of the company, is simply not as good as the actors are. Anderson’s pacing does drag at times. Lingering too long on some scenes, while not taking enough time allow for the development of some of the key players in others. Moreover, it does not capitalize on all the emotions that it could. For instance, the woman who eventually becomes Bonhoeffer’s fiancé is only mentioned in the first act, and she never appears on stage until part way through the second act. Both Kevin Dean and Sarah Cooksey do absolutely convincing portrayals of the emotional turmoil affecting the characters; however, Anderson really missed out on an opportunity to introduce the character earlier and fully develop their passion and love for each other.

The scenic design is wonderful for the limited space provided. It does a lot of work to set the tone and mood for the play, especially since there is no physical curtain keeping it hidden from the audience before the show. The lighting design also enriches the mood. These elements combined with the skill of the A.D. Players actors make for an enjoyable evening of theatre, despite the few flaws in Anderson’s writing.

Luckily for the Houston area, The Beams are Creaking has recently been extended. It now runs at the A.D. Players Mainstage until June 17, 2012. For more information or tickets, call (713) 526 – 2721 or visit http://www.adplayers.org/.

All photos are courtesy of RicOrnelProductions.

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