Review: God’s Work (Albany Park Theater Project)

  
  
God’s Work

Written by the Ensemble 
Directed by David Feiner, Stephanie Paul,
Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez & Maggie Popadiak
at Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn (map)
thru April 19  |  tickets: $10-$25   |  more info
  
Check for half-price tickets 
  
  
   Read review 
  

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Showcase for young actors a unique insight into child abuse

Albany Park Theater Project presents

God’s Work

Review by Patrick Dyer

Devised theater can be rewarding for actors but alienating for audiences. It’s a purely democratic form of theater where all of the performers and directors collect material and draft a script together instead of normally having one or two playwrights draft a script and then produce it from there. It focuses more on theme, specific movement, and emotions instead of a straightforward narrative. Unfortunately, devised theater pieces can lose focus if they’re missing a clear vision or goal. Albany Park Theater Project’s latest work has a goal in mind, but is it enough?

God’s Work is based on the real-life story of one of APTP’s former members, Rachel [surname], who was the eighteenth child of an abusive and overtly fundamentalist father. When she was nine months old, her Aunt Irene and Uncle Peter found her in a basket in the family basement with no food or proper clothing. After being taken in by her aunt and uncle, Rachel’s father brought her back home and continued to abuse her and her seventeen siblings on a daily basis while their mother remained submissive. If any of the children disobeyed the father’s commands (which could be miniscule things like eating a cupcake or playing), they were forced to pay for their “transgressions.” However, Rachel emerges from the experience a stronger person and in the arms of those who truly love her.

I appreciate that APTP wants to have their young ensemble explore more mature and heavier themes in the work, and the theatricality of the piece (created by the ensemble themselves) is certainly confident. The stylized choreography, the inventive puppetry, and the evocative lighting help create a brooding atmosphere and an interesting space for the young actors to move about in. However, I can’t say that God’s Work is really that profound of an exploration into something as heavy as child abuse. The father is depicted as just a one-note sadist/fundamentalist and none of the other siblings nor even the mother have definable personas. Rachel has the most development out of all the characters, but with something as complex as child abuse I’m not sure if that works to the piece’s advantage. And while the final image is indeed touching, I can’t help but wonder if it would be even stronger with more time spent on the other characters to help give it more weight.

  

Knowing that this was devised by the ensemble themselves, I still feel that the directors could have pushed for more complexity with this play outside of just a simple good-child-bad-parent scenario. Part of this has to do with how the production is more concerned with the presentation of the story instead of really getting into the meat of it. Maybe that’s just a drawback to devised theater – there needs to be more to it than simply focusing on scenario presentations. (Look no further than The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater Project.)

However, with that said, I still recommend seeing God’s Work if only for the talented ensemble APTP has gathered. Whatever issues I have with the piece itself, I have to acknowledge this cast’s persistent dedication and passion all throughout the evening. If anything, this play works best as a showcase for these dedicated performers. At the performance I saw, the audience of mostly adults gave a well-deserved standing ovation. And I do applaud APTP for at least giving this cast the chance to perform in one of the city’s more prestigious theaters. I just wish there would be more focus on why they needed to tell this story as opposed to just how they could tell it.

Rating: ★★½

God’s Work continues through April 19th at Goodman’s Owen Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn (map).  Tickets are $10-$25, and are available by phone (312-443-3800) or through GoodmanTheatre.org (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More information at APTPChicago.org.  (Running time: 80 minutes without intermission)

Photos by Liz Lauren

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artists

cast

Lizbeth Acevedo, Maidenwena Alba, Lesley Albarrán, Gibran Carrisoza, Marilyn Carteño, Gustavo Duran, Liliana Duran, Ely Espino, Kito Espino, Kiara Lyn Manriquez, Justin Martinez, Vincent K. Meredith, Paloma Morales, Chelsee Nava, Alyanna Parajado, Paola Rico, Jalen D. Rios, Kyra Mae Robinson, Jessica Rolon, Christina Saliba, Jeremy Sebastian, Electra Tremulis (ensemble)

behind the scenes

Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez, David Feiner (co-directors), Stephanie Paul, Maggie Popadiak (directors, choreography), Brandon Campbell, Lacy Katherine Campbell (puppetry), Mikhail Fiksel (original music & sound), Jeremy Getz (lighting), Izumi Inaba (costumes), Scott C. Neale (set), Angie Tillges (objects), Liz Lauren (photos)

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