I Got Soul

Last night was one of the most enjoyable theatrical experiences I've had in a long time.  I admit, when an old friend of mine told me she was in The Mysteries at the Flea theater, my stomach sank a little.  I knew that play was five and a half hours long.  I knew it was about the Bible.  And although it had gotten incredible reviews, I just wasn't sure if I was up for the marathon of Jesus stories.  So I made a deal with myself.  Not willing to shell out the $75 dollar ticket price, I decided to rush tickets.  If I got in, I'd go.  So yesterday I took the 6 train all the way down to SoHo to the tiny, nondescript, Flea theater and waited an hour for rush tickets.  And I'm so glad I did.                

Forbidden Fruit in the Garden of Eden

The Mysteries is modeled after the famed York Mystery Cycle, a tradition dating back to Medieval England.  In those days, performers would enact short scenes from the Bible on moving wagons.  The audience would travel from wagon to wagon, experiencing each play separately and in different orders.  By the end of the festival (which could last for days) they audience was supposed to have experienced the story of the entire salvation of man, from the Fall of Adam and Eve to the foundation of the  Catholic Church.  The traditional Mystery Cycle is still performed once every four years, a massive undertaking that is one of the last remaining vestiges of the medieval world.

The Flea's take on the tradition is, to put it lightly, a bit different.  This delightfully blasphemous fantasia of music, myth, and mayhem features 48 plays by 48 playwrights, including names such as Jose Rivera and Craig Lucas.  Each play is distinct in style.  Some of them rhyme, some take place in modern day Brooklyn, some present the angel Gabriel as a pin-striped corporate lackey, and some are downright ridiculous.  Many feature sex, drugs, and rock and roll.  Nevertheless, thanks to the impressive work by dramaturge Jill Rafson, all the the plays fused together to form a more or less cohesive piece, leaving a few key elements for the audience to track throughout the night.

When the show works, it is thought-provoking, shocking, and immensely entertaining.  Director Ed Sylvanus Iskandar does an excellent job of keeping the night alive with surprises.  The music, most of it sung A-Capella by an "angel choir" of twenty-something punk-rockers, was beautiful.  Aside from a few moments where the harmonies were off (the play is in re-mount and many of the cast is new) the music greatly elevated the show.  My favorite number was the blue-grass/A-Capella rendition of the Killers' "All These Things that I've Done" that had the entire audience singing "I've got soul, but I'm not a solider..." as Jesus ascended into Heaven.  The lyrics took on a new meaning as Jesus sang, "...over and in, last call for sin.  While everyone's lost, the battle is won, with all these things that I've done."

And when the show doesn't work, the audience is comforted to know that each individual play only lasts fifteen minutes.  So if there's something you don't like... well, it will be over with shortly.  Personally, I was less of a fan of some of the more politically-bent numbers. (Although the Massacre of the Innocents was a major exception.)  Someone else whose interest lies in these areas may feel differently though, and the great thing is, there's really something here for everyone.


Jesus baptized in the River Jordan

As a believer myself, I was pleased to see that the play asked all the right questions.  What does it mean to say that Jesus Redeemed the world? What is redemption?  What is free will?  What is sin?  At no point did I find my religion reviled, although a more conservative theater-goer may be offended by some things in the play. (Jesus in a bi-sexual poly-amorous relationship/ Mary refusing to ascend into Heaven.)  It is not a religious play, per se, but it uses the archetypal stories of faith to ask questions that are important to all human beings.  This makes it accessible, in my opinion, to persons of all belief systems.

While I simply don't have time or space to say everything I want about this play (it was almost six hours long!) the two stand-out performances (out of about 50 actors) that I must mention were the Virgin Mary, played by Allison Buck and Lucifer, played by Asia Kate Dillon.  The violent and erotic scene in which the terrified Mary is forcibly impregnated by the Angel Gabriel  made me view Mary's plight in an entirely new way.  Lucifer's constant questioning, based in love at first, but gradually morphing into resentment, then hatred, and, ultimately, back to love, mirrored the emotional journey of many in the audience.


Allison Buck as the Virgin Mary

But what ultimately makes The Mysteries a great experience is structure of the event itself.  It has truly earned its rep as "the best party in SoHo."  The audience is wined and dined throughout.  (Dinner, snacks, and dessert are included.  Drinks are inexpensive and available throughout.)  Between acts, actors wander through the audience, making sure everyone is having a good time and refilling beer and wine.  I must have been thanked for coming about twenty times by actors, when all I wanted to say was "This is amazing- thank you."  By the end of the night, you really feel as if you are participating in a wild party, and, after a few drinks, you have no qualms about joining in with the song and dance.

Overall, The Mysteries reawakens the sense of wonder and awe that is the basis of all religious faiths.  It is an enchanted work of imagination and love.  In the final transcendent moments, when the cast thanks God for everything from square roots, to curve-balls, to blondes, everyone is truly connected to something divine.


Jesus is crowned with thorns.

The Mysteries, at the Flea Theater (41 White Street) have been extended through July 14th.
Tickets are available at www.theflea.org

(Although it is about the Bible, this is not Sunday school. I highly recommend leaving the kids at home.)