BWW Reviews: THE FALL OF HEAVEN Rises to the Occasion by Guest Critic Anne Shoemaker

Review of THE FALL OF HEAVEN by Guest Critic Anne Shoemaker:

What constitutes a good life? Do a few bad deeds negate the possibility of entering heaven? If you were judged, would you accept judgement without question, or would you defend yourself? These questions and more are raised in Walter Mosley's The Fall of Heaven, directed by Kwame Bey, on stage now at Baltimore's prestigious Arena Players, the country's oldest continually performing African American community theatre.

Tempest Landry (Tyrone Requer), killed by police mistaking his mp3 player for a gun, finds himself before St. Peter, who deems him unworthy for the kingdom and bids he's sent to hell. Tempest contests the judgement and is sent back to earth with an angel (Louis B. Murray) assigned to enlighten Tempest on the error of his ways. What follows is a series of philosophical debates, many unexpected and poignant, interspersed with sharp-witted comedy.

Tyrone Requer expertly walks the fine line of a man who is not so good, but not so bad, either, making the main character approachable and, ultimately, human. Requer accomplishes the very difficult task of keeping the audience's attention and compassion throughout the play. Murray possesses the staid, stoic and eloquent qualities befitting an angel in body, but i would have liked to have seen more of that in his delivery. Still, he commands the stage with grace. I was most impressed by Kelly Renee Armstrong, juggling the female ensemble roles of the show. She was very natural in each, and made the audience comfortable every time she was on stage.

The show is thought-provoking and well thought out; however, with so many scene changes, perhaps it might be better suited to film and not the stage. Director Kwame Bey does his best for the fast-paced show, minimizing the set to a "blank slate" black, with optimum use of lighting changes, select furniture and blocking to guide the audience through the labyrinth of scenes, although some set changes could use a bit of tightening up. The overall feel of the show is right where it should be: Bey's understanding of these characters and how they play against each other make for an enjoyable evening of theatre.

The Fall of Heaven runs November 15 - November 24th at The Arena Players, Inc., 801 McCulloh Street, Baltimore, MD 21201.

Baltimore Broadwayworld Guest Critic Anne Shoemaker is a noted actor and director in Baltimore and has performed/directed at multiple venues throughout the region,