Theatre Review: Balagan Theatre's Rapture of the Deep

Balagan Theatre’s Rapture of the Deep digs up more quandaries than it answers about Rapture Christianity – or any form of spirituality for that matter. And I’m OK with that.

The driving metaphor of the play is inspired by nitrogen narcosis, or “rapture of the deep,” an expression coined by Jacques Cousteau, which induces euphoria or disorientation in divers at certain depths. It suggests that investing yourself in an experience too far beyond the realm of the living holds both enticing rewards and consequences. You may feel free at first, but there’s a risk of misleading yourself, losing touch with reality and, in some cases, never coming back.

That alone would be a pretty tired exploration of faith in a play. But Seattle playwright Eric Lane Barnes just gets started there.

Read the full review after the jump.

In a well-conceived layer cake of flashbacks, soliloquies and comedic scenes that interact with the audience – combined with dynamic characters and smart staging  – the ensemble, directed by John Vreeke, executes nicely this quirky, and perhaps not-totally-polished meditation on whether or not faith is a boon, a crutch, a beautiful otherworldly experience, or a terrifying fog of denial and misinformation.

Set in the South and the Midwest, the story follows three generations of characters who are all lonely, all confused about where they fit – and all desperate to be loved better and more by someone. That desperation eventually leads them all to either accept or reject God. And it’s never quite clear who is happier for their choice.

Barnes original songs or hymns – performed in beautiful a capella harmony by the cast – are a really important and successful choice in the play. The musical interludes elevate the wry criticism of religion to a more complicated experience – so the play isn’t allowed to simply poke religion in the eye for a laugh and move on. It’s difficult to describe, but it helped the play to foster more visceral and impactful discussions of religion, belief and God than I’ve experienced for some time.

I especially enjoyed following the story of Eileen Oliver (played well by Alyssa Keen, shown right), a somewhat deranged single mother who is simultaneously raising a flock of new born-again-Christians in her prayer group and her own teenage daughter (Lauren Kottwitz) a dark, pragmatic foil to her own infuriatingly cheery, sing-song façade.

In a beautifully performed monologue, Eileen tells the story that took her from a gruesome suicide attempt (I still cringe remembering her description of her thighs being stuck together after the blood from her various cutting dries) to a seemingly even more desperate place: a “blessed life” cloaked over a plain-to-see underbelly of loneliness. Though her dysfunctional relationship with her daughter Bethany makes it hard to see her as sympathetic – I do empathize more with the plight of her finding faith: a wholehearted dive into the depths of Rapture Christianity, ill-advised or not, is at least a step forward in finding some shred of confidence in herself.

Finally, I appreciate how the play seems to occupy the Balagan’s space fully – as if the company is conscious of giving it one last go before they have to move out of their dreamy centralized space in the basement of Boom noodle. The scenes explore every possible dimension and corner (except for the ceiling, maybe), reminding us that theatre is not about stages, but about tight scenes and believable characters working in rhythm. And that, this play has.

Highlight: Sean Marlow’s performance as a variety of ensemble characters. Even in small parts, he comes on stage like a lightning bolt, snapping everyone to attention and (unfortunately) shining a light on the less-honed abilities of some of his cast-mates. I hope to see more of him soon.

Lowlight: poorly-fitting and, frankly, hideous costumes. Even contemporary plays about middle America operating on a Value Village budget should make smart wardrobe choices that add to our understanding of characters, not relive our last stressful experience at the Marshall's returns counter.

Rapture of the Deep runs Thursday-Sundays, through September 25. Buy tickets online or at 800.838.3006.
Balagan Theatre, 1117 E. Pike St., Seattle