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Theater Fri Oct 18 2013
Find Time for Theatre Y's The Binding
Last night, I almost saw Theatre Y's production of The Binding. Almost, because there were only three of us in the audience. Even for the old chapel of St. Luke's Lutheran in Logan Square, which can only seat about 20 people, three is pushing it, so they cancelled the performance. But what I saw before I filed out of the cold room will take me back next weekend. Or the weekend after that. I will return every Thursday-Sunday at 7pm until I see the show.
Written by Evan Hill, and directed by Melissa Lorraine, The Binding explores the biblical narrative of Abraham, just at the moment when God commands him to kill his only son, Isaac. The play, written completely in poetry, also features eerie music and a small cast of characters that, even at first glimpse, stay with you. In a recent interview with Laura Molzahn of the Chicago Reader, Melissa Lorraine shared, "Inside a theater, I feel I hear clearly. Theater consumes untruth." Indeed, the darkness of the chapel, the feathers strewn about the floor, and the chalk markings on the walls draw viewers to confront their own inner demons almost as soon as they've walked through the door.
That's what I did, as music chimed through the chilly darkness, as the actors waited patiently on stage for the audience to come. It seems to me they will wait there for as long as it takes, perhaps for all of eternity. The Binding will play at St. Luke's (2649 N. Francisco) through November 3rd, if you seek to end your October on a haunting note. You can find out more about Theatre Y and upcoming productions by visiting their website.
