If you’re looking for light, Friday evening entertainment to fill thatawkward time between dinner and your night out, Pentecost is not the play for you. This three-hour marathon is a serious investment in time and thought, ranging from extravagant themes of political repression to common anxieties of seeking a better life— all the while exploring ideas about art, humanitarianism, and the complexities of language.
Set in a church in an Eastern European country haunted by its communist past and attendant problems, the play follows a museum curator, a British scholar, and an American professor who seek to uncover the truth about a fresco on the church wall, potentially the greatest artistic discovery in centuries. The first half of the play deals with questions surrounding the true meaning of art, our duty to preserve history, and the corrupting effects of business, wrapped up in the validation of a controversial painting.
The play picks up a bit in the second half, when the three academics are interrupted by a motley group of refugees, who take them hostage in an attempt to obtain asylum. As the play progresses, stories of each refugee are revealed, mixing in some pizzazz with a little cello playing, break dancing, and gun cocking.
Despite the emphasis on each refugee’s story, it would be inaccurate to say that the plot is character-driven. The three main players remain largely underdeveloped throughout Pentecost, and the dynamic among them suffers as a result. The play occasionally attempts to develop relationships among the three protagonists and the refugees, but characters remain secondary to the more grandiose themes that the play tries to communicate.
Still, Pentecost delivers in many areas that often go unnoticed. Funded by the Department of Performing Arts’ Theatre and Performance Studies Program, Pentecost is easily the most generously budgeted play of the year; consequently, the stage is built beautifully and antiquated believably. Overall, the setting is splendidly elaborate compared to your average Georgetown student play.
Producing a play that requires so many different accents and languages can be tricky, and many other student productions have tried and failed to incorporate realistic dialogue. But the cast strikes a curious balance between flat-out failure and overly contrived exaggeration to obtain a credible—and strangely enough, not distracting—degree of authenticity.
Though the plot ambles along slowly at certain points—and, let’s be honest, three hours is quite a long time to be meandering—you will never find yourself bored. Pentecost succeeds in presenting its themes, while remaining entertaining in its irony and excitement.
HILARY NAKASONE
