Last night I caught Jobsite's production of horror-meister Clive Barker's History of the Devil at TBPAC. While I can't say I caught every nuance or meaning of this dark, often chilling play, which tracks Satan's actions throughout the course of history as he is put on trial for the right to re-enter Heaven, I can say it was a highly entertaining, thought-provoking evening, particularly on the issues of the responsibility for evil and the existence of morality. At its core is some very fine acting, particularly from Steve Garland as Lucifer, Chris Rutherford in multiple roles (including Jesus and Dante) and Shawn Paonessa as the lawyer summoned to defend the Devil in court. From David M. Jenkins' fine direction to Brian Smallheer's minimalist but ominous red-and-black set, the Jobsite crew should be proud of itself for tackling what seems to be a difficult text and pulling it off. It's far from a perfect play, leaving many ideas undeveloped, but well worth your time. One small quibble — if you're sitting in the lower section of the Shimberg Playhouse, it's very difficult to see the action when an actor is lying on the stage. While this wasn't a problem for the bulk of the play, I felt a bit cheated that I couldn't see the Devil writhing on Earth after being banished from Heaven. That quibble aside, I highly recommend the show, which runs through November 16.
This article appears in Oct 29 – Nov 4, 2008.