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Grey By Lessa Bouchard, Grant Stokes and Garrett Prejean EP Theater Company Although our present administration would like us to think
otherwise, not everything in this world is black or white, good or evil, moral
or immoral. Most circumstances and
issues in our society situate themselves somewhere in between these extremes. In
the gay community, these all-or-nothing cookie-cutter classifications are
thrust upon us on a daily basis, most notably when juxtaposing homosexuality with
religion. I once had a former boss say
to me, during her last week at work before retirement, that
I would be going to hell for choosing to be gay. The bible said that homosexuality was an
abomination, she recited, hence, unless I converted back, I would be awarded a
one-way ticket to the Wraths of Hell (wouldn’t that be a great name for a ride
at Great America?). And as the infamous signs
of Rev. Phelps’ Based on a true story, EP Theatre’s Grey is a thought-provoking theatrical study of what lies in-between these black-and-white extremes (a.k.a., grey). Told on a deeply personal level through the eyes of two soon-to-be ordained Catholic priests, Michael (Grant Stokes) and Jeff (Garrett Prejean), Grey tells the story of their monastery meeting, blooming friendship, and eventual emotionally-intimate yet highly-secretive love affair. The struggles that such a Catholic-defined sacrilegious relationship as this present on the priests guides the story forward, ending in an unexpected yet understandable conclusion, as Michael and Jeff struggle with the taboo coupling in their own unique way. Grey is a heart-wrenching love story. The performances are superb. Grant Stokes and Garrett Prejean powerfully invoke the nuances needed for the roles. These characters are secretive and tightly-wound, replete with stifled emotions and inner pain, meaning much of the forward motion relies on body language and facial expression to further the story. These fine Equity actors are more than up to the challenge. Especially notable is a scene where Stoke’s character Michael, who, after presiding over his own adopted brother’s funeral, begins to crack. We see him start to break down in front of Jeff, but at the last minute he methodically bottles up his pain and hurt, packaging it away, an act no doubt perfected through years of numbing his feelings to the world around him. Stokes performance at this moment is brilliant. The set is simple yet clever, and the entire stage is well-used. The staging itself is well presented, though a few of the scene changes are a bit clunky. A few awkward moments occurred when the priests left the stage and one almost wondered whether or not it was the end of the first act. The background music is very professional sounding and works well. There is no mention of a music composer, though, which is worrisome in that it leaves me to wonder whether or not the theatre obtained permission to use the music. If EP has not, the music needs to be replaced the immediately. The three playwrights - the two actors, along with Less Bouchard - have created a powerfully written work, with much attention paid to finessed dialogue coupled with poignant silences. Grey runs a bit long (over 2 hours), and begs to be trimmed down a good 10-20 minutes, mostly from the first act. I had not ventured to a production of the 2-year old EP
Theatre before, so was pleasantly surprised to discover such a Rating: Recommended (3 stars) |