Review: Folger's Intimate and Informal SAINT JOAN

If you go to see Bedlam's production of Saint Joan at the Folger Theatre, pray for patience and stamina. With a runtime of more than three hours, brevity is not the strength of George Bernard Shaw's play. That is not to say that the trials and tribulations of Joan of Arc are not worthy of a lengthy examination. Shaw went to great lengths to study the 'The Maid of Orleans' persecution. But the length of the play and informality of Bedlam's production leaves one feeling that the story was underserved.

What is most fascinating about Shaw's play is how strikingly relevant it feels, despite being written more than nine decades ago. Anyone who thinks that nationalism, politics, faith, and identity first clashed in the 2016 presidential election should see this play to be proven wrong. All those themes were alive and well in the 15th century.

Shaw, a commander of the english language, has all themes collide in a third act inquisition of Joan (Dria Brown) that crackles. Bedlam uses Folger's Elizabethan Theatre to great effect as a cast of three - Edmund Lewis, Sam Massaro, and Eric Tucker - move around, to create the feeling of a grand inquisition. In that moment theatergoers are no longer just the audience, the are members of that inquisition as Brown's Joan gives an impassioned plea.

By this point thought, our arrival at the inquisition feels delayed and tired. The first two acts seem to meander a bit, and one could argue that they could be succinctly combined. It is almost as if Shaw wants to give voice to Joan's persecutors as well to the saint herself. Also taking away from the story is the informality of Bedlam's production.

This talented cast of four perform all 27 roles in the play. Some portrayals are more convincing than others, such as Tucker's snobbish Earl of Warwick or Lewis' temperamental John de Stogumber. However, the simplistic approach to both costumes and props does cause a bit of confusion at times. In the first act we are not quite sure who the monarch is and what Joan must do to persuade the royal court. By the third act, the company seems to settle into the multitude of roles.

Additionally, when one thinks of the Catholic Church, we think of the grandeur and opulence of the great European cathedrals. Without that opulence and the informality of Bedlam's production, the play seems to lose a bit of dramatic emphasis. Joan was fighting not only the great powers of Europe, but those of the church. However, this production does not always feel that way. Only in the third act, and thanks to Les Dickert's lighting design, do we finally feel the worlds of the church and royal court collide in a way that makes us realize Joan's fate was not of her making.

Tucker pulls double duty as both a cast member and the play's director. His use of space helps to make up for the play's lack of scenery and costumes. If you plan on attending Saint Joan and haven't yet bought your tickets, I would recommend the onstage seating for a truly unique theatrical experience. Your seats will get shuffled around during the play's two intermissions, but the seats are worth it because you will see how Bedlam uses the Folger Theatre to full effect.

Certain shows lend themselves to being scaled down, sometimes quite naturally, others by surprise. Who would have ever thought that the simplified off-Broadway hit production of Sweeney Todd would have garnered the raves and success it has. And yet, watching Saint Joan, something seems missing in Bedlam's informal and intimate production. Maybe it is the grandeur of Europe's royal and religious court or the dazzling array of characters being brought vividly to life. Whatever it is, this production seems under produced, and that, when involving the great George Bernard Shaw is a cardinal sin.

Runtime is three hours, 15 minutes with two intermissions

Saint Joan runs thru June 10 at the Folger Theatre - 201 E. Capitol Street, SE. For tickets please call (202) 544-7077 or click here.

Photo: Joan (Dria Brown) informs Dunois, Bastard of Orléans (Eric Tucker) that their soldiers must cross the bridge to fight the English in Shaw's Saint Joan. (Sam Massaro, as a page, looks on.) Photo by Teresa Wood.

To post a comment, you must register and login.