BWW Reviews: 2nd Story Theatre's SAINT JOAN Falls Short of Miraculous

There are those plays that, one way or another, rest primarily on the shoulders of a single actor. It's true that no play, unless it's a one-man or woman show, is completely about just one person, one character. On the other hand, there are plays where everything is so tightly connected to a single character that they are the show's life, breath and blood. A play like Hamlet, for example, A Streetcar Named Desire or A Doll's House. You simply must have the right actor playing Hamlet, Nora and Stanley to make those plays become what they might be. Unfortunately, 2nd Story Theatre's current production of George Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan just doesn't have what it needs at its center, in the all-important title role.

Shaw's play is based on the life and trial of Joan of Arc. Written in the early 1920s, not long after Joan was canonized by the Roman Catholic Church, Shaw based the story of Joan's life and death on the transcripts of the girl's trial. As the play starts, Joan is as a simple village farm girl who hears voices she believes are the word of God. Eventually, she becomes the leader of France's armies, taking them into successful battles against England, but ends up an accused witch who is ultimately burned at the stake for crimes including heresy.

As the legendary heroine, 2nd Story has miscast Valerie Westgate, who is undeniably talented but just wrong for this role. From the start, she lacks the gravitas, maturity and stage presence for the brave and headstrong leader of armies. Westgate's Joan comes across most of the time as a bratty, whiny kid who no soldier would likely follow into battle. In more than a few instances, her speeches appear to be more of a petulant child throwing a temper tantrum than a strong adult woman. This is made worse by the fact that she has only one level, only one pace and volume. Her performance lacks any nuance and we never really get any sense of who Joan really is or might be on the inside. More of a character actress type, really, it's hard to say if Westgate would ever really be right for this part.

As mentioned before, no play is really about just one person and there is a sizeable ensemble supporting Westgate. All of them are men and they run the gamut from highly talented to merely serviceable. Chief among the many talented actors is Jeff Church as Dunois, one of the French soldiers who fights alongside Joan. 2nd Story would do well to cast Church in leading male roles as often as possible. He always brings his A-game and is consistently enjoyable and entertaining to watch. Also excellent is Kevin Broccoli as the Inquisitor. It's a tricky and verbose role, but Broccoli pulls it off with seeming ease. He shares some scenes with another fine member of the cast, David De Almo as Cauchon, a Bishop who plays an important role in Joan's downfall. De Almo chews the scenery in the best way possible and steals the scene more than a few times.

The rest of the cast comes and goes, some of them appearing only for a few moments, never to be seen again. Andrew Iacovelli as Steward and Max Ponticelli as Poulengey are both great in very brief appearances. The always reliable Ara Boghigian makes an appearance as Bluebeard and does an excellent job with his small role as a French soldier. Director Ed Shea makes an appearance as well, giving one of the best performances as Warwick. On the other hand, some fo the others, like Jeff DeSisto as La Hire and Jim Sullivan as Archbishop, seem to be acting in another play altogether.

That sums up the other primary problem with this production. It seems to be a few different plays all happening at once due to a lack of a cohesive tone. Sometimes it's deadly serious, other times it's melodrama and still other times it's high camp. And the cast seems to try to be making up for what the play lacks by talking really fast. Almost every actor speaks much too fast, as if they have to hurry and get to the next line before the audience has the chance to hear and understand the previous one. Westgate definitely talks too fast, taking away the power of many of Joan's lines, but she's not the only actor who does it.

Shaw's play is one that needs to be slowed down, not made faster. It can be wordy and dense with language and can be a lengthy production. Still, its story is an important one and its themes and messages still resonate today. There are issues of church versus state, the intersections of politics and religion, the dangers of religious fanaticism, real or perceived, the power of faith, and the courage of one person to stand by his or her beliefs and make a difference. It is a compelling and fascinating tale of a fascinating woman. And it's a powerful play, which 2nd Story should be applauded for bringing to their stage. It's just unfortunate that they couldn't bring the kind of life to Saint Joan that she and the play deserve.

Saint Joan is in the UpStage space at 2nd Story Theatre, 28 Market Street, Warren, Rhode Island. Performances run through December 15, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm, with an additional performance on Monday, November 25 at 7:30pm and no performance on Thursday, November 28 (Thanksgiving). Tickets are $25, and $20 for ages 21 and under. For tickets, visit the box office, call 401-247-4200 or buy online at www.2ndStoryTheatre.com.

Pictured: Valerie Westgate and Rico Lanni. Photo by Richard W. Dionne Jr.

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