Though the program beckons with the promise of smoke machine haze and strobe lights, don’t get too excited for The Gospel at Colonus, a production that is, in a word, fine. Though individual performers shine among the mélange of semi-soulful gospel choruses and lukewarm parables, a decided lack of cast unity brings the quality of this production to the level of extraordinarily ordinary.
Written by Lee Breuer as a gospel inspired reinterpretation of Sophocles’ Oedipus at Colonus, The Gospel at Colonus is an unlikely synthesis of Greek tragedy and “the participatory theology of Black Americans” that successfully morphs tragedy into parable. A show full of potential uses a Baptist church as the stage for the depiction of classic Greek tragedy. However, this particular staging, directed by Georgetown alum Isaiah Wooden and executed by the Black Theatre Ensemble falls just short of its expected glory.
The play opens with churchgoers placidly filing into a multi-level “church” festooned with blue and gold satin drapery, a light fog and topped off with a kitschy white grand piano. After everyone finds their seats, the congregation launches into its own unique version of the blind Oedipus’ journey to his death. It’s hard not to be reminded of the foxy muses in Disney’s interpretation of Hercules when the coryphaios started busting out their powerful gospel hymns to a background of spoken Greek prose.
The coryphaios, consisting of several women and one man, are responsible for carrying most of the vim and vigor of the show, and on the whole, they succeed. However, a few songs disappoint, including the opening number, “Live Where You Can.”
The separation between the coryphaios, who spend most of their time on the stage near the audience, and the chorus, who are stuck up on the top tier of the set, is disconcerting and distracting. The two never seem to be unified: the coryphaios carries the story while the chorus just sits around pretending to be in church.
The coryphaios and the chorus only come together in an effective way when they aren’t actually visible. In one of the most poignant and striking scenes, Oedipus is isolated in a single spotlight on an otherwise dark stage, appealing to the lord for mercy. The voices of the two choirs rise out of the darkness to support his plea, bringing the play to an emotional peak.
The stellar performances of individual actors are what make this show worth seeing. The two Oedipuses (yes, there are two) deliver distinctly different interpretations of the same character. Preacher Oedipus (Joshua DeMinter) is the theological anchor of the play, while singer Oedipus (Reginald Douglas) gives a stunning, Ray Charles-esque performance as Oedipus the man, flaws and all. Both actors have the rich, sonorous voices needed to carry the role, and they do it very gracefully.
In theory, this play could be really good. However, its patchy execution leaves something to be desired. The show gives a take on religion unfamiliar to many Georgetown students while incorporating real intellectual stimulation. It’s worth the price of the ticket, if not for the show-stopping numbers, then for the earnest sentiment it tries hard to convey.
The Gospel at Colunus shows at 8 p.m. in Gonda Theater and runs through Saturday.
