BWW Reviews: A Cross to BARE

In the midst of the season of repentance for Catholics comes a musical drenched in symbolism. Begging answers to serious dilemmas that young people now face with the unchanging church. Bare: A Pop Musical does for the religious community what Rent did to the society at large regarding AIDS. It cries out for reformation through heart wrenching melodies.

Set in a turn of the millennium Catholic boarding school, a group of youths try to find their way through the maze of religious doctrine that condemns their every move. This overbearing presence drives the teens to alcohol, hard drugs, and unsafe sexual habits. Worst of all, it stifles their abilities to come to terms with who they are as human beings - which is where the main plot finds its focus.

The trouble with Bare is that, again like Rent, there are many different plots strung together to highlight how complex the lives of these teenagers can be. Unfortunately, the script itself is predictable and longwinded. Each sub plot fits nicely with one another, it just makes the show much more daunting to stage than it needs to be. Several songs could be shortened or eliminated all-together. Though one could say that's a nod to the tradition of a church homily, but that's probably a stretch.

All of that being said, each moment was given its fullest potential thanks to Mercury Players'/OUTCast Theatre's outstanding performers in addition to direction given by Steve Noll, musical direction by Meghan Rose and the fascinating choreography of Lyn Pilch.

At the helm of the primary storyline is Aaron Insko as Peter. Peter is the school's token, closeted homosexual who cannot bring himself to openly admit his true feelings. Insko's powerful voice resonates through the cozy theatre. Each time he is given the chance to sing he owns the stage. Every note and lyric is just as intense as the last. Part of this intensity is certainly borrowed from the electric chemistry between Insko and his costar Kurtis Hopp as Jason. Jason, the lover boy jock who is struggling with his own sexual identity, is the perfect yin to Insko's yang. Hopp's voice stands on par with his colleague, but with a richer rock quality that sets him apart.

This yin and yang motif is exemplified even in their costumes by Sophia C. Luchianni as the two boys are often seen in black (Insko) or white (Hopp) when they aren't in their matching uniforms.

Bare is a show that holds enough ammunition against phobias brought on by religious institutions. However, in a show like Bare, there are plenty of opportunities to add even more hidden messages. From a dual sided duvet cover that goes from black when used in the dorm room for the boys or white when used for the girls, to the projected image of Jesus on the cross that appears when characters are struggling with their faith, there are a lot of Easter eggs hidden in this production. It appears that Noll had a great deal of fun setting up all of these little treasures.

Despite all of the obvious imagery, however, one aspect of the production stood out in particular.

The priest, played by a hauntingly somber Dave Durbin, always stood on the stage left side of the cross that

looms over the stage. There are two instances in which he 'gets down from the cross' to venture elsewhere, but his placement is intriguing. If this staging is deliberate, it makes an even greater statement about the church in the show. According to scripture, when Jesus was crucified there were two thieves crucified with him. One on his left and one on his right - the thief on the left mocked him and was condemned while the other asked for forgiveness and was saved. From the stage, the Priest was always on the left side of the cross, which would make him the thief who was damned for not changing his ways. From the audience's perspective, the Priest is on the right side which makes him the thief whose heart was changed - which saved his soul.

For those who venture into Bartell Theatre, it's your turn to decide what the staging of this show signifies. Particularly in our present societal state, when religion can dictate so much, it's necessary to step back for a moment to ponder the 'what ifs' and more importantly, the 'why.'

As for me, I can confidently say that Bare touched my soul.

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