Review - Temporal Powers

There would be far fewer complaints about having too many revivals on Broadway if they were all done the way the Mint Theater Company does them. Under artistic director Jonathan Banks, each piece mounted in their intimate space has an interesting story behind it, usually that of a forgotten playwright or a rarely-produced piece by someone few associate with writing plays. Their productions define the most positive aspects of museum-quality theatre, with visuals and interpretations that take you back to the time when the play was contemporary, rather than dressing the play in a manner that forces it to relate to contemporary times.

Temporal Powers is the Mint's second association with Irish playwright Teresa Deevy, after producing her engaging class-conscious romance, Wife To James Whelan, last year. Their latest is the play that first seriously propelled her career, winning The Abbey Theatre's new play contest in 1932. Within the next ten years, with nurturing from the Abbey, Deevy would become arguably the world's most famous female playwright, until her work fell out of favor with the theatre's new management.

As the title suggests, this is a tale of spiritual devotion versus worldly necessity. Set in the 1920s, the story begins after financial hardship has forced Min and Michael Donovan (Rosie Benton and Aidan Redmond) from their home and they have set up emergency shelter in a crumbling old ruin, executed with somber realism by set designer Vicki R. Davis. The sarcastic and outspoken Min blames their situation on Michael's lack of ambition and his contentment in being hard-working, religiously faithful and poor.

"Some are rich, some are poor," he reasons, "and it must be the poverty was meant for us."

But when Michael finds a cash-filled wallet hidden in the wall, Min is overjoyed, thinking they can now start a new, prosperous life. But Michael insists the money is not theirs to keep and tells her he's going to consult with the priest to determine what God's will was in placing the money in his hands.

Min will have none of that, but Michael uses his physical dominance over her to protect the new-found wealth, prompting her to engage the help of Ned (Con Horgan), the ex-convict husband of Michael's sister, Maggie (Bairbre Dowling).

The news of Michael's find attracts local visitors who become peripherally involved, but the focus here is on the Donovans. Under Banks' thoughtful direction, the excellent paring of Benton and Redmond establish empathy for the couple, even as we are seeing them at their worst. In a world where women must fully depend on their husbands in determining their well-being, Benton shows how Min's caustic attitude comes from the regret of having been blinded by love; unable to see her husband's devotion to his faith taking precedence over his commitment to her. Redmond's strong, quiet Michael is simultaneously patient and dangerous, a humble man who is continuously a physical threat to his wife.

And while a contemporary audience may find it unacceptable to believe that Michael is capable of loving Min after he acts out violently, or that Min can feel the same when she acts in retaliation, Deevy seems convinced that there is something decent and lasting which is being brought out by their moral dilemma. Banks and his actors seem convinced of it, too, and their commitment to this engrossing text makes for a strong and very well-acted production.

Photo of Aidan Redmond and Rosie Benton by Richard Termine.

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