The World Premiere of A WORLD APART at the Flea Theater

 

The Flea Theater (www.theflea.org) presents the World Premiere of Creation Production Company's A World Apart, running now through February 26th.  Written by Susan Mosakowski and directed by Jean Randich, A World Apart is the story of Mother Augustina (Antoinette La Vecchia).  An Abbess, Augustina ponders how she can lead her order into the modern age if she does not understand it herself.  Upon meeting Father Byrne (Andy Paris), Augustina starts to contemplate a life beyond the monastery. Could she do more for the world if she succumbs to the seduction of Father Byrne and the outside?

I have to say that I was pretty excited to see this piece, especially as the Vatican currently reviews its long-held stances on several issues (including the use of condoms to stop the spread of AIDS).  I also wasn't surprised to see religious figures taking on the social and emotional issues of the secular world.  If you ever had a Jesuit education, this would be called a "Tuesday."   Seriously though, I deeply appreciated seeing religious figures portrayed as thoughtful philosophers examining the world around them for once, as opposed to the crazed zealot stereotype we've become far too familiar with in television and movies today. 

The play itself wasn't flawless.  I felt that several plot points were predictable, which caused the piece to lose a bit of its luster about half way through.  I felt like that ultimately had an effect on the staging as well.  I saw the characters' moves about two steps before they made them.  I also felt that there were some elements that were introduced and never fully explained.  For example, why was Father Byrne lame?  Was it from that childhood incident or from the trip to Peru?  I actually read the script and couldn't pinpoint an answer.   Either way, what was the impact on him?  If there was no impact, then I don't get why he was hobbling for seventy minutes.

The absolute standout of the piece was Amelia Workman as Sister Cornelia.  She was wonderful on several levels.  Although not the lead, the role of Sister Cornelia was possibly the strongest character in the piece.  She was the only one allowed to actually take an emotional journey.  From the moment she hit the stage, Ms. Workman brought a beautiful, approachable comic soul to the piece.  When she has her final epiphany, you're with her.  My only regret was that the role of Cornelia and Ms. Workman were not featured more in the piece.

 

"A World Apart" is running now through February 26^th.  For more information, check out www.theflea.org.