Review: ABANDON ALL HOPE at West Art

Lancaster native and fledgling playwright, Peter Fenton recently brought his fantasy-dramedy, Abandon All Hope to the West Art stage.  Influenced by sources as eclectic as No Exit, A Christmas Carol, The Twilight Zone, and The Good Place, the play tells the story of three recently deceased young people and their pursuit of meaning and possible redemption. Fenton’s script was both interesting and optimistic.  I think the show’s themes of self-improvement and self-forgiveness were highlighted especially well

Avery Kellington stars as the flamboyant Teresa, the supernatural temptress, and hostess who provides the rules for the afterlife and gives the other characters an opportunity to review and reflect on their lives and what went wrong. 

The three individuals stuck in this interdimensional escape room were all “super” in their own way. The superficial Melissa (Yuliana Slerne), the super-logical Sean (Jonathan P. Chen) and the super religious Evan (Michael De Los Angeles). 

The four-person cast had good chemistry.  Some acting choices were a bit too broad or theatrical for my tastes, but overall, characterization was effective and kept the audience engaged.

The set was deliberately simple, perhaps the most prominent feature being the large character head shots hung on a back wall. I also appreciated the purposeful typo on the set’s sign.  It reinforces people’s imperfections, and our own need to accept others as they are, warts and all.

 I think housing the show in the West Art building was an excellent choice whether accidental or deliberate.  The stained glass and high arches associated with this former church kept the thoughts of God, religion, and the afterlife front and center in the audience’s mind. It was a wonderfully appropriate touch.

I stayed for the Q&A session with the cast and crew that took place at the conclusion of the show.  I was able to get more insight and appreciation for the show’s long journey to the stage, as well as a deeper understanding of some of the plot points and character motivation.

Abandon All Hope is a timely show full of hope.  I think it resonates especially well with younger audience members who may struggle with identity and acceptance. I look forward to learning about future productions.

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