Charlie Mount and Jim Beaver (Photo by Scottie Nevil)
Reviewed by G. Bruce Smith
Whitefire Theatre
Through March 11
Somewhere hiding in Here Be Dragons, a new work written and directed by Charlie Mount at the Whitefire Theatre, is a very good play — in fact, two very good plays.
Let’s start with the one actually written and performed. It takes place somewhere in the United States where the three-member Rockland County School Board (Meg Lin, John Combs and Anne Leyden) is convening behind closed doors (most likely in violation of open meetings laws) to discuss a possible change to the curriculum. The discussion is prompted by community controversy (which has drawn national attention) emerging in the wake of a fatal shooting of a Bible literature teacher in her classroom by what appears to be a Christian fanatic. Also, a child was next to the teacher when she was killed, and his parents are now at odds on how to help their son. — through prayer, as his mother would like, or through therapy, which is the suggestion of his father.
(Weirdly, the board is meeting in the very same school — and the very same classroom — where the murder took place.)
The proposal before the board is to scrap the Bible literature class but adopt a new science textbook that includes the intelligent design theory, which posits that specific biological structures are too complex to have come about solely through unguided evolution, — inferring they were designed. The theory opens the door to what is essentially creationism being taught in public schools. Board members believe the move could be a good compromise between what they say is the majority of the community that wants to keep the Bible literature class and the vocal minority that is demanding the elimination of the course. Complicating matters is an upcoming meeting of the State Board of Education to decide on whether to continue to include in its curriculum guidelines the teaching of intelligent design.
The devoutly Christian author of the new science textbook, Jerome King (Jim Beaver) is on hand to urge the board to adopt his book. And somehow King’s estranged adopted brother Robert Bell (Charlie Mount) finds out about this meeting and shows up to argue against his brother’s position. So the board calls for a “mock trial” (`a la Inherit the Wind?), which is really just a debate between the two men.
And the debate goes on and on and on. Getting into the weeds takes on a whole new meaning in the dialogue that ensues. Which is a shame, because there are some salient, even poetic, points made by both brothers. Focusing on those striking arguments —and cutting the play itself by about half — would make for a taut, compelling narrative. Interestingly, the debate even extends to St. George’s slaying of a dragon (hence, the title). King sees it as killing an evil force; Bell interprets it as the extermination of knowledge and reality.
Wisely, the playwright has folded into the narrative the emotional baggage that separates the brothers and also reflects on their opposing ideologies in very personal ways. These have to do with their mother’s death and King’s own battle with cancer. That tension is an important added element to the story, which includes an exchange that results in one brother slapping the other. However, that tension is way too often watered down by distracting and ultimately unsuccessful attempts at comic relief or unneeded dialogue or what sounds like points made at a high school debate.
Clearly, there is a lot going on in Dragons, which raises the possibility of creating two strong but separately told stories: one, a full throttle examination of the parental conflict over their child’s care in the wake of the shooting, and two, the debate and the story of the brothers themselves.
The cast does a serviceable job under Mount’s direction, and the simple set (uncredited design) works fine as a public school classroom.
Whitefire Theatre, 13500 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks. Wed., 8 pm.; thru March 11. https://whitefire.stagey.net/projects/13156 Running time: Two hours and 15 minutes with an intermission.
