‘COTTON PATCH GOSPEL’
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Remount of biblical riff reminds us of Provision Theater’s talent
When: Through Nov. 8
Where: Provision Theater Company, 1001 W. Roosevelt
Tickets: $22-$28
Phone: (866) 811-4111 GET TICKETS HERE
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September 14, 2009 BY HEDY WEISS Theater Critic/hweiss@suntimes.com
JESUS CHRIST SOUTHERNER
It might not be the oldest story ever told, but it certainly is one of the most widely known, with no end of individualized riffs on its essential plot and characters. On Broadway it comes in the form of “Jesus Christ Superstar.” At Chicago ‘s Congo Square Theatre it’s “Black Nativity.” Earlier this year at the Mercury Theatre it was actor Max McLean’s one-man show, “Mark’s Gospel.”
And now, courtesy of Provision Theater — the five-year-old company whose work is marked by its subtle spiritual underpinnings — there is “Cotton Patch Gospel,” a rousing backroads-of-Georgia bluegrass musical that spins the Jesus story from a pre-civil-rights-era Bible Belt perspective.
The show is the work of Harry Chapin, the folk-rock songwriter and humanitarian (who was not much older than Jesus when he died, age 38, in a car accident in 1981), and writers Tom Key and Russel Treyz, who have conjured a witty tale complete with segregationist ministers, scheming Jim Crow politicians, television evangelists, teenage lovers by the name of Mary and Joe, a glitzy shopping-mall “temple” rife with corruption and, finally, a lynching — the Deep South’s equivalent of a crucifixion. The whole story is played out on a country road, where a group of locals find themselves stuck when their flatbed truck gives out.
“Cotton Patch Gospel” is the show that first put Provision Theatre on the map in 2004. And this zesty remount, artfully directed by Lou Contey, with impeccable musical direction by Alaric Jans, not only celebrates the company’s new home (the comfortable theater of the former “Y” on Roosevelt Road that is now operated by St. Ignatius College Prep), but serves as a splendid showcase of the dramatic and musical talent that fuels this troupe.
Leading the ensemble is Timothy Gregory, a Chicago Shakespeare Theatre veteran — and a man of a dozen vivid voices and personae –who not only narrates the story as Jesus’ disciple, Matthew, but turns himself into all of the modern-day characters who serve as major Biblical counterparts. He is terrific — energetic, yet wonderfully laid back and easy at the same time.
But it is the actor-musicians in this cast who drive much of the storytelling and make a most joyful noise. Chapin found the perfect pitch and style for each element of this tale. And singer-instrumentalists Shaun Whitley (on bass fiddle and mandolin), Farley Masterton (fiddle and bass fiddle), Alex Goodrich (banjo) and Trey Maclin (guitar) bring their distinctive personalities to bear in every number. The African-American “choir” that produces a heavenly blend of voices includes Krystal Metcalfe, Whitney Clair White, Dora Marie Washington Powell and Christian David.
Adding significantly to the atmosphere are Courtney O’Neill’s starry roadside set and Jordan Kardasz’s radiantly beautiful lighting.
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