“Baptized” at the New York International Fringe Festival at the Lynn Redgrave Theater
“Baptized” at the New York International Fringe Festival at the Lynn Redgrave Theater Written and Directed by Kristen Lishen Reviewed by David Roberts Theatre Reviews Limited
Kristen Lishen’s “Baptized” is frighteningly successful not because it focuses on the newsworthy high profile sexual abuse of children, youth, and adults by Roman Catholic priests: this haunting and disturbing play is successful because it exposes the dysfunctional underbelly of congregations in Middle-America “white picket fence” communities where horrific and most often underreported sexual and psychological abuse is committed by popular local clergypersons serving in these mainline Protestant denominations.
Southern Baptist Convention (the largest Protestant denomination in the United States) Pastor Russell Lawrence (David M. Farrington) and his wife Grace (Sabina Petra) “pastor “Bethlehem Baptist Church in present day Ocala, Florida. Pastor Lawrence was called to the local church at the recommendation of Youth Pastor Tommy (Christopher Michael) and, therefore the congregation did not perform due diligence and vet the charismatic minister.
The audience begins to dislike Russell within five minutes of the beginning of “Baptized.” He verbally abuses his wife and three children RJ (Glenn Leo), Bonnie (Isabel Carey), and Gabe (Brandon Salerno) with sexist and homophobic slurs: this is one awful “man of God.” This holy man’s sexism is the least of his congregation’s worries.
When Tommy discovers that his friend’s teenage daughter Danielle is pregnant, he urges Russell to visit the family to put the rumors at rest that he had sexual intercourse with Danielle during counseling sessions he had with the teen and that he, in fact, is the father of the unborn child. Knowing he is in trouble, Russell becomes defensive, aggressive, and even more horrific and more of his past is disclosed. He has left more than one congregation under suspicion of sexual misconduct and, although, Bethlehem Baptist gives him a vote of confidence, he leaves the congregation for a “small parish” where he will most likely continue his pattern of abuse including raping his own daughter.
The ensemble cast, under the playwright’s direction handily portrays the abuser and the abused. Sabina Petra portrays a battered wife whose anger boils over and whose psyche is damaged beyond easy repair. Jealous of the attention she knows Russell is giving Bonnie, she lashes out at her daughter calling her a “whore.” David M. Farrington’s Russell is horrific enough to make the audience want to jump on stage and attack him. Tommy and Grace’s sister Sarah (Abby Eletz) attempt to intervene but their honesty and compassion simply cannot overcome the diabolical power resident in ecclesiastical cover-up, subterfuge, and hypocrisy.
Hopefully “Baptized” will have a future run in New York City: its story needs to be told and needs to be heard.
BAPTIZED
“Baptized” is presented by The New York International Fringe Festival and Shakespeare’s Ladies Productions in association with Rita Fleming-Castaldy and Bedrock Wine Co. at the Lynn Redgrave Theatre, 45 Bleecker Street (at Lafayette Street).
The final performance of “Baptized” took place on Sunday August 25th at 2:45 p.m. For more information about the show and the cast and creative team, please visit www.baptizedplay.com. The role of Bonnie was played by Isabel Carey for this final performance. For more information about the 17th Annual New York Fringe Festival visit www.FringeNYC.org.
Permalink | Posted by David Roberts on Wednesday, August 28, 2013
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