Review: The Gamm's Sin: A Cardinal Deposed

 It seems that anyone who has lived in, or around, Boston has at least one connection to the Boston Archdiocese pedophile priest scandal.  We all know someone or someone who knows someone who was directly impacted by the action (or inaction) of the Catholic Church in this case.  During the 1990s I lived down the street from Cardinal Bernard Law's residence in Brighton, MA. During that time his reputation was still, publicly, sound. His morals, unquestioned.  His word was, well....Law.

Michael Murphy's play Sin: A Cardinal Deposed is taken directly from four days of testimony in two separate depositions that Law sat for in 2002.  Also included are letters sent to the Cardinal, and his predecessors, alerting them to the sexual misconduct of their priests.  Murphy has done a fine job culling, cutting and pasting together a cohesive script out of that testimony.  Murphy also eases into the most horrific pieces of testimony, well aware that in its entirety the abuse, and the damage done are so devastating that an audience could not be blamed for shutting down, if only as a coping mechanism.

In the title role, Sam Babbitt has the unenviable task of humanizing Cardinal Law.  In reality, Law usually projected an arrogant, pompous, holier-than-thou demeanor and was notorious for over-acting as soon as the cameras were on.  Babbitt's Law is at times thoughtful, witty, reserved, and alternately pompous, arrogant, bristly and holier-than-thou.  While watching Babbitt I was aware that Law could not have a better representative. At the same time I could believe that the words coming out of Sam Babbitt's mouth were being said for the very first time.  It is a tremendous performance.

When compared  to the phrase "courtroom drama", the phrase "deposition drama"  hasn't hit the common vernacular.  There is a reason.  Depositions are tedious, with the same question being asked in a dozen different ways.  Even when there is a 'gotcha' moment, a deposition, usually, just doesn't have the same "Perry Mason" punch.   Giving Sin its punch is Orson Krieger, who is a composite of lawyers that were present at the deposition.  In this production Krieger is played by Scott Winters.  Under the direction of Judith Smith, Winters fills the role out to, what I think, are its limits.  

Tom Gleadow doesn't have much to do in the role of William Varley except act like a slimy lawyer-type, but Gleadow does it well.  

Wendy Overly and Chris Byrnes play 20 characters between them.  It is to the playwright, director and actor's credit that each of the 20 characters is distinct.  The audience is never unsure who they are listen to or the time period.  I particularly enjoyed hearing good, varied, Boston accents from the actors.

Steve Kidd is nearly silent throughout the play in the role of Patrick McSorely.  Kidd plays the pain and anger just barely below the surface, occasionally flowing over.   McSorely is not a composite character.  He was an abuse survivor,  who took his own life in February 2004.  Playwright Murphy appropriately gives McSorely the last  word and in doing so leaves the audience with it's collective head spinning.

Fortunately, The Gamm is having talk-balk sessions following each performance of Sin.  For the opening night audience it was an opportunity to check their own disbelief at the disregard the Archdiocese had for the victims, while being "pastoral" to the abusers.

 The acting, direction, staging and technical pieces of Sin all contributed to an engaging, sometimes uncomfortable, but completely enjoyable evening of theater at the Gamm.
 

Sin: A Cardinal Deposed runs through April 22, 2007.  Tickets range from $19-$31 and can be purchased by calling 401-723-4266 or visiting www.arttixri.com.

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