WHAT: Children of Eden
WHERE: Seacoast Repertory Theatre
BLURB: Impeccable
HIGH POINT: The Overall Talent & Creativity
The Rep's production of Children of Eden is extraordinary.
It is elegant, and perfect, with unbounding creativity, exquisite timing, outstanding acting and vocal performances, and impeccable direction. It's a rare 10 on all counts.
The choices by Set Designers/Directors Ben Hart and Brandon James are ingenious, and ultimately are responsible for the production's deepened meaning.
The visual direction and largely the script interpretation are a departure from the original staging. This production's slant and the unique development of characters, opens a distinctly different and richer path for the script.
The production opens in a slick, futuristic laboratory, God the Father's domain, where He (Ben Hart) creates His new worlds and all its beings.
The set features a square, glassed-in observatory platform center stage, where Adam (Sean Mullaney) and Eve (Shaina Schwartz) start life. Above this room (which is rung by computers) is a similarly shaped deep cornice, which serves as a projection screen. It's there the audience shares in God's inventions as they're brought to life, and later see the physical plans His creations will travel.
The setting and the projections bring a wonderful sophistication to the story and make the production far more magical.
It also allows for the best animal introduction sequence witnessed, simple and magical.
The lab is eventually dismantled and the space transformed as the characters' story progresses.
The interpretation is pretty ingenious, both the visuals and concept. The production achieves a greater complexity due to these choices, through the emphasis given a song's line, the dressing of a scene, or the intonation in a phrase, all enriched by the visuals.
Now for the cast. Here again, - impeccable.
To a person these performers execute their roles with individualistic style. The cast's voices are singularly and collectively impressive, even exciting.
And while it's hard to single anyone out, a few deserve the extra nod.
Schwartz stepped into the role of Eve and Mama Noah with no warning the weekend the show was viewed. If you weren't told, there was no way to tell.
Schwartz's vocal and acting performances are a study in finesse, and yes, again, elegance. Her graceful demeanor and movements bring power to the simplest look or gesture. This performance is a triumph.
(The role is usually performed by Alexandra Mullaney, an outstanding actress.)
Then there's Ben Hart as Father (God), who successfully creates a commanding presence. He imbues the role with a sense of power, and strength, and while his voice never booms it successfully conveys a sense of a thunderous voice when needed.
In addition he moves easily between the Father's contradictory impulses - from the initial high of creating, and loving creator, through the growing severity, and resignation. It's Hart's best performance to date.
And so it goes with Sean Mullaney as Adam and Noah. Mullaney develops two distinct characters, effortlessly moving from the initial charm and childlike naivety of Adam, through to the characters' sense of loss, and dogmatic mindset, and with both, eventually a learned wisdom.
The remainder of this deft cast, playing numerous roles with believable emotional breadth are: Christopher Hobson (a standout as Cain and Japheth), Jason Faria, Jared LeMay, Kyla Bolling (killer voice), Emily Lambert, Michelle Faria, Adom Lokko and Zadie Sands. Kudos also to Mary Laura Godby, Hannah Lizotte, Luke Swaller, Quinn McGillion, and Max Cavanaugh.
Rounding out the spectacular ensemble-voice are Tobin Moss, Joel Sadler, Aidan Campbell, Ethan Badders, Matt Kasnetz, Kathryn Lowell, Noli French, Courtney Foschi and Sands.
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