BWW Reviews: Irony, Humor and Holiday Culture Inspire Next Act's HERESY

A hint of a seasonal theme inspires Next Act Theatre's Heresy while adding a political twist on on the holiday spirit. A.R. Gurney's near apocalyptic play places Mary and Joe searching for their rebel son Chris in America's jails, now under protection by Homeland Security. Pontius, a leader with a rather droll wife Phyllis, tries to befriend Mary and Joe in finding their son who was arrested without cause. While the couple waits for news of their son, a military recorder named Mark, that just happens to be the name of one of the four gospel writers in the Bible, rattles off biblical phrases referring to the nativity and condemnation of Christ with equal aplomb, with the assistanc of Chris's friend, Pedro, or Peter, in the Gospel version.

Gurney incorporated all these themes into a didactic, yet somewhat entertaining and witty two act play which appears to warn the audience of impending cultural doom. Next Act's highly original and kitschy "Crackdown Cafe," a collaboration between writer Doug Jarecki and composer Brain Myers, presents America's escalating environmental and political woes through satirical skits. Clever, top notch and campy performances keep the audience engaged while highlighting these significant issues with funny sarcasm..

The accomplished cast under David Cecsarini's adept direction paces the comedy without undue flippancy, playing the script straight, which can be problematic in the first act because frequently Phyllis's lines, delivered with perfect comic timing by Carrie Hitchcock, rarely find a place to land with laughter in the audience. Mary Kababik and Michael Pocaro portray the puzzled Mary and Joe, while Drew Brehl's considerable experience brings a caviler command to Pontius in the first act, and The Colonel, a leader of the underground resistance, in the second act when he drinks in th cafe.

However, the evening belongs to Jarecki and Myers, the Master of Ceremonies and keyboardist respectively, alongside Alexandra Bonesho, or Honey, and her counterpart, Hitchcock, or Doll, who perform in the Crackdown Cafe just before Christmas Day. Dancing, singing and delivering the ironical commercials, this sensual quartet of performers keeps the action moving while violent chaos reigns outside the cafe in a never named American city. A surprise finale caps the ending to this very inventive musical treat, and then the production.

Gurney's pastiche of Christian, environmental and political concerns resonates best with an audience knowledgeable in each of these cultures, and one with an open ear to listen. Otherwise, the twisted humor can easily be lost within these sterling performances. Either way, Next Act's Heresy can entertain while pushing the audience to consider their country's future. This quirky holiday selection rarely tackles the critical questions necessary to solve these issues and only suggests citizen's believe America will change, which poses a deeper social issue, and a significant heresy. What exactly does Gurney wish the audience and America to believe in? Uncover these provacative ideas presented in Next Act's alluring Crackdown Cafe before New Year 2015 approaches.

Next Act Theatre presents Heresy at 255 North Water Street through December 14. For information or tickets, please call 414.278.7780 or www.nextact.org.

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