Fringe 2012: CHRISTCHRISTCHRIST
Photo by Mark Basque.
Theatre Stendhal
Saturday, July 7, 2:30 p.m.
Tuesday, July 10, 2:30 p.m.
Wednesday, July 11, 2:30 p.m.
Thursday, July 12, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, July 13, 2:30 p.m.
Walmer Road Baptist Church (188 Lowther Avenue)
Theatre Stendahl’s CHRISTCHRISTCHRIST, a fourth wall–free play about three men who are convinced they are the second coming of Christ, gets off to an interesting, if somewhat aggressive, start. The play begins with a series of stern warnings from the head nurse at the fictional St. Rita’s Psychiatric Hospital, who then hands out visitors badges and guides us in to meet the patients. Unfortunately, that promising start is one of the highlights of a play that has a strong concept, some good performances, and a few compelling moments, but ultimately proves inconsistent.
Rather than a beginning, middle, and end, CHRISTCHRISTCHRIST has a lecture-like introduction, a long group therapy session, and a sudden, abrupt finish. The traumas that lead these men to think they were Jesus are hinted at, but never explored. They don’t talk about how they got there, or where they’re going. The Christs just argue with each other while the staff get more and more exasperated. Jamie Ebbs, Max Tepper, and Mark Johnson all deliver solid performances as the would-be saviours, and Susannah McKay, who plays the head nurse, has few lines but a strong presence. Regrettably, all those strong performances are wasted on script that doesn’t go anywhere, to the point that the confused audience actually had to be told when the play was over.