Gallery Players and New Players Theater recent collaboration of Matthew Lopez’s The Whipping Man covers countless ideas in a driving and emotional story.
A tense beginning swiftly draws the audience into a dilapidated and half burnt mansion in Richmond, Virginia in April 1865. Amidst the dark and stormy night, we join a wounded Confederate captain, Caleb DeLeon, as he scrambles inside and collapses. Just as quickly, an aged man thrusts a shotgun in Caleb’s face. The two recognize each other; Simon, the armed man and a recently freed slave, helps his former master to his feet. Caleb’s wound comes from a week-old bullet hole and gangrene has rapidly begun its work. With the help of whiskey and John, another recently freed slave, Simon saws Caleb’s leg off in a moment of shameless selflessness for fellow man. Squeamish beware: in addition to the non-gory depiction of limb removal, The Whipping Man takes an intriguing look at tough questions and harsh realities that plague our past as well as our present.
Playing Caleb, Chris Tucci spends most of the show lying on a couch recovering from the amputation. Despite his fortress of blankets, Tucci pulses with the anxiety, fear, and confusion of a man who recently returned from war and who’s entire way of life just changed forever. His “possessions” became people. Countering him, Christopher Austin’s John brims with hope, fear, and rage as he pauses at the crossroad of a life that just opened for him. In a most stunning moment, Caleb asks John, “What’cha got planned for yourself?” Throughout the show, John mentions a myriad of options, but we never know which, if any, he chooses. He must recover from the owner/master past with Caleb, as does Caleb.
Guiding all of this, Bryant Bentley shines as Simon. Given the forthright sins of John and Caleb that the audience slowly discovers, it seems simple to paint Simon as a saint. Bentley balances this line quite exquisitely as he portrays a humble servant of God and man, yet blatantly informs Caleb that ordering him about no longer remains an option. Having lived in a Jewish household, both Simon and John adopted that faith. In a makeshift Seder, we see the three come together for the ancient tradition, but for John and Simon and their new-found freedom, it means so much more. Bentley’s haunting vocals of “Let My People Go” during this custom highlight power of freedom and faith. Through his singing, we get a glimpse of his soul.
Director Tim Browning handles all of the sudden shifts and with the urgency it demands. His attention to the emotional needs of these characters create a simple, yet powerful performance that is easily one of the best shows I have seen all year. Peter Pauze’s set, Kate Charlesworth-Miller’s props and set dressings, and Lindsay Simon’s costumes deliver the reality and truth on stage. Jarod Wilson’s intricate sound and lighting design subtly create the dark and stormy world that symbolizes crazy times and new beginnings.
Matthew Lopez’s script offers plenty of food for thought once the audience gets past the obvious question. Jews in the South in 1865? Really? Though not terribly common, this of course did occur. The Whipping Man covers so much content and questions in its less than two hour run time. Naturally, historical perspectives come to mind, but he also touches on choice, mental slavery, freedom in a figurative sense, spirituality, and family. This show certainly gives the audience plenty to discuss and think about hours after they’ve left the theater.
The Whipping Man presents a powerful story with a provocative premise that temporarily renders the audience speechless upon its conclusion. It is a shame they only have five performances total; a show of this quality really deserves and needs a longer run. With only three shows left, I urge everyone to see this production.
The Whipping Man plays through May 12 at JCC, 1125 College Ave and plays Thursday at 7:30 PM, Saturday at 8:00 PM, and Sunday at 2:30 PM. Ticket prices range from $10-20. More information can be found online at www.jccgalleryplayers.org or www.newplayers.org.
