Review: THE CHRISTIANS at Theater J

"What voice is God, and what is your own wishful self?"

THE CHRISTIANS by Lucas Hnath playing at Theater J examines religion's power to unite or divide us. It delves into what bonds a community in faith. The play looks at houses of worship as institutions guiding faith formation and as businesses.

We meet Pastor Paul (Michael Russotto) on the day the church of 3,000+ souls becomes debt free. They have grown from a humble storefront to a facility featuring a coffee shop, bookstore and ample parking.

Pastor Paul has had a revelation he needs to share in his sermon: there is no devil. There is no Hell. There is just you and your fellow man -- we humans are in Hell already. "We are no longer a congregation that says 'my way is the only way.'"

Associate Pastor Joshua (Justin Weaks) is concerned. He has questions. As they turn to the Bible, each pastor can interpret in different ways. Joshua says his heart says the Lord must reject what Paul is saying. He believes the sermon is fundamentally against what the congregation believes. The desolation in Joshua's face as he walks out of the church, leaving the congregation he has help nurture, is devastating.

The play, directed by Gregg Henry, opens with a church service; we are the congregants. The entire theatre space is used, with the celebrants and congregants entering at times from the back of the house. The church is mega-enough to need AV support - we become accustomed to seeing Pastor Paul through the jumbo video screen and hearing his voice reverberate through the microphone. Is there an authentic connection to his people? Lighting design by Kyle Grant, Scenic and projection design by Jonatan Dahm Robertson and sound by Patrick Calhoun create a cool, lit, PTL contemporary worship space. Danielle Preston created costumes. Kevin Laughon designed properties.

THE CHRISTIANS features 17 local choir partners in a rotating schedule throughout the run. On the performance I saw the 22 voices of the Refreshing Spring COGIC James E. Jordan Jr. Choir filled the space to the rafters with song. The choir is on two sides of the audience in balconies interacting with the audience and augmenting the action on the stage. From the Bowie State Gospel Choir to the DMV Youth Choir, a range of different choirs lend their own unique flavor to each performance.

After the shocking sermon, the congregation must examine, individually and as a unit, how and if they can continue. Their time, faith, funds and trust were given to Pastor Paul and to the church.

An early meeting with Elder Jay (Michael Willis) shifts the action to an office - it is the first time we are placed outside the church sanctuary. Yet the artifice of actors using the microphones is retained. Elder and pastor face out to the audience rather than to each other - more Meet The Press than a meeting of minds. It becomes very impersonal and the audiences loses a significant connection between the two.

"The board says we can't afford a schism," Jay states. The board is a volunteer, unprofessional governing board. To what extent do these individuals have a voice in running the business? To what extent do they have a voice in the spiritual direction that body takes? Does a leader make decisions based upon what the congregation is ready for?

Jenny (Annie Grier), a mom, worries about her son. "I'm responsible for his soul when I pick his church." Plus, she says, the timing of the sermon on the day the debt is paid off makes many suspicious. Grier's scene is fairly limited, but she makes a memorable impact.

"We are good because we know what is right, not because there will be punishment," reasons Pastor Paul. When the Pastor states that everyone is in Heaven, he is pressed. When he agrees Hitler is in Heaven there were audible gasps from the Theater J audience. Jenny, the young mom, says she could not imagine a Heaven where a murderer and an innocent exist together. Pastor Paul counters, "Why should Heaven be imaginable?"

Joshua and Paul's wife Elizabeth (Caroline Stefanie Clay) handle the conceit of working with the mic with more intimacy and polish. There is more closeness and connection among the individuals. Finally, late in the play, Joshua explains that he likes to rely on the power of his own voice to reach out to others, and the mics go down. It is a relief finally to connect with the players without the artificial electronic barrier, but it is too late in the play. We needed to see more of the personal side without device of the mics earlier.

In THE CHRISTIANS we discover individuals joined together in community with shared values and beliefs. What happens when they begin to diverge? "Absolute tolerance requires intolerance of the intolerant?" asks pastor's wife Elizabeth?

Michael Russotto gives us a Paul who is charismatic and fixed in his faith. "I believe what I believe because I know it is true." The connections are especially strong between Paul and Joshua, who worked together to advance the church in the early years, and Paul and his wife Elizabeth, who are firmly united in their love for each other even when they might diverge significantly in matters of faith.

In all, the play would benefit from more real connection among the people. More surety vs. doubt and higher stakes. But, THE CHRISTIANS introduces us to how values are shaped and if congregations can adapt to new ideas.

Running time: 90 minutes with no intermission

THE CHRISTIANS by Lucas Hnath runs through December 11 with shows on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays at 7:30 PM; select Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 PM; select Fridays at 8:00 PM, Saturdays at 8:00 PM. There will be a weekday matinee on November 30 at 12:00 PM. There will be an open captioned performance on Sunday, December 4 at 7:30 PM. Theater J has a series of Beyond the Stage dialogues, the schedule can be found here. The Edlavitch DCJCC's Aaron & Cecile Goldman Theater at 1529 16th Street, NW in Washington, DC, 4 blocks east of Dupont Circle. For tickets or for more information, please visit Theater J's website here.

Photos by C. Stanley Photography. From top: Michael Russotto; middle: Justin Weaks and Michael Russotto; at bottom: Justin Weaks and Caroline Clay.

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