Jordan Hull and Jayne Taini (Photo by Seth Dorcey)
Reviewed by Deborah Klugman
The Skylight Theatre
Through July 7
RECOMMENDED
A play that deals with climate change and faith, Miranda Rose Hall’s The Sandwich Ministry takes place on a climatically turbulent night in the future — or is it the near present?
Three women have gathered in the basement of a small church: brisk youthful Hannah (Jordan Hull), genial elderly Joyce (Jayne Taini), and bustling middle-aged Claudia (Maha Chehlaoui), who is the more privileged wife of the church’s pastor, currently in Italy on a meditation retreat.
Torrential rains, or some other undefined event, have brought about devastating flooding in their community. Houses have been destroyed and aging neighbors left homeless. The women, who used to be close but haven’t seen each for a while, are there to make sandwiches for some of the distressed victims of the disaster.
Unspoken issues abound, first from Hannah, who bears unspecified resentments against Claudia, and also from Joyce, a kind lady and dedicated churchgoer who inquires of Hannah once too often why she no longer attends services on Sunday. When Claudia shows up, it’s clear she has stuff going on, yet makes no effort to share.
Directed by Katie Lindsay, The Sandwich Ministry blends ecological concerns with an examination of the role of churches in our communities and how personal faith may or may not affect people’s lives. The themes are filtered through three interesting women characters, whose secrets and woes are easy to grasp. The performances are engaging; Hull shapes Hannah with her signature energy and disingenuous charm, while Chehlaoui, with the meatiest, most conflict-laden role, delivers a affecting emotional dynamic. Taina is well-cast as a warm, well-meaning, if sometimes clueless lady, but there are deeper places for her to go to make this part truly hers.
Many plays seem to run long; by contrast, The Sandwich Ministry is one of those more rare undertakings where more, not less, might build on its strengths. At a bare 65 minutes, the story could use more heft — details to better explain the grievances Hannah brings to the table. As is, while we may (sort of) understand why Hannah feels betrayed, at the same time it seems like the pressures and disappointments and erosion of faith she is wrestling with are too sketchily delineated to be satisfying.
Scenic designer Carolyn Mraz has created a spot-on replica of a church fellowship hall, utterly lackluster and utilitarian, with its bright overhead lights and décor-free ambience. Towards the end there’s the sound of rain (designer Noel Nichols) and its shadow (lighting by R.S. Buck) visible on the set’s small windows upstage. Still, for a plot framed by climate change, I found the theme’s integration into the story —via tech and otherwise — too minimal (my theater companion did not agree). Some rumblings of thunder throughout might address this, or some weather-worn signs in the characters’ appearances when they make their entry.
The Skylight Theatre, 1816 ½ Vermont Ave., Los Feliz. Fri.-Sat., Mon., 8:30 pm, Sun., 3 pm; thru July 7. www.skylighttheatre.org Running time: approximately 65 minutes with no intermission.
