By Michele Markarian
Bedlam’s “Saint Joan” by George Bernard Shaw. Directed by Eric Tucker. Presented by Arts Emerson, Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, 219 Tremont St, Boston, MA through March 25.
The great thing about attending a Bedlam show – this is my fourth – is that you know you will never, ever be bored. This company’s take on the classics is so energizing and fresh that even when you think you know the script, you’ll find yourself in for some surprises. Saint Joan is no exception. Four characters play all of the roles, and they do it amazingly well.
Orleans is under siege by the British. Joan of Arc (Aundria Brown), a young girl from the country, claims that God is commanding her to reclaim it for France. She talks her way into the court of the cowardly Dauphin (Kahlil Garcia, in one of multiple roles), saying that should this battle be allowed to take place, the victory will lead to his coronation. Joan also converses on a regular basis with Saint Catherine and Saint Michael, much to the consternation of those around her. It’s a valid consternation, if you think about it. Son of Sam, for those old enough to remember, heard voices. So did Andrea Yates, the woman in Texas who drowned her five children in the family bathtub. So while Joan, played with great appeal, innocence and enthusiasm by Brown, seems sincere, one can’t help but question, along with her detractors, if she’s not just a little nuts.
But Joan’s voices, nutty or not, are right about one thing: against all odds, she is able to take back Orleans. Yet she wonders aloud to her friend Dunois (Aubie Merryless, who plays a number of roles) why, after all that she’s done, is she so unpopular with the court? Plus she’s a little depressed with after the war blues: “It is so dull when there is no danger”. She decides it might be best if she returns home, but before she does, she suggests to the men that they next battle for Paris. The Archbishop (Sam Massaro, in one of his multiple roles) accuses her of hubris. Not only do they believe that Joan is a witch, but worse, a heretic, for she has put her voices before the Church. I won’t spoil the ending for you.
Eric Tucker’s direction is all at once playful, tight, frenetic and tense. There’s a mirthful moment when Brown and Garcia, as Joan and the Dauphin, body bump in celebratory glee (Garcia falls). Actors circle the stage between scenes, holding up a cassette player blaring medieval music, to remind us of where we are. Massaro and Garcia titter hilariously as women onlookers of the Court. Merryless plays both characters in a two character scene effortlessly. It’s funny, it’s fast, it’s quirky, it’s Bedlam.
John McDermott’s set design is effective and simple. Acts I and II are performed with the house lights up. Some lucky audience members are seated on the stage, which resembles a stripped down warehouse. Act III, which is just Joan seated on a chair atop a table, is performed in front of a curtain; the audience from onstage are now seated in boxes. The house lights are down. The contrast is noticeably dramatic as Brown delivers Joan’s last monologues clearly and plaintively.
In the end, I’m not so convinced that Joan was a Saint, although like most Saints, she suffered a horrible and cruel death. At three hours long, “Saint Joan” drags a little in spots, but it’s well worth the time spent. For more information and tickets, go to: https://artsemerson.org
