By Alayna Een and Eliza Een
This spooky season, in an irregular departure from Shakespeare’s canon, the Grassroots Shakespeare Company performs the work of one of Shakespeare’s contemporaries, Christopher Marlowe, with The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus at The Box in the Gateway Mall in Salt Lake City, UT. Marlowe was an Elizabethan playwright and poet whose life experiences were sometimes as strange and fantastical as those of his characters—down to his early demise under speculative circumstances that eerily parallels the fate of Doctor Faustus. In Doctor Faustus, Marlowe spins the story of a brilliant and ambitious German student who decides to experiment with the powers of heaven and hell by selling his soul to Lucifer in exchange for 24 years to work devilish arts with the full-time assistance of demon Mephistophilis. During those 24 years, Faustus revels in the mischief he can play on the unsuspecting and in the odd requests he can grant for friends, thanks to the devilish power on his side. But before long Faustus comes to second-guess his decision, wondering if he has gone too far for God’s grace to save him before Lucifer claims his soul.
The events of the evening unfold in classic Grassroots Shakespeare style with a preshow, performed by Gary Argyle, Brooke Bollick, Chase Schetselaar, and Addison Radle on a variety of instruments: guitar, banjo, violin, cello, box drum, egg shaker, and tambourine. The musicians’ repertoire includes a variety of familiar tunes that showcase each musician on several instruments and give a folksy, spooky start to the show. This unnamed musical group (at least, I hope they are still sourcing suggestions after our audience’s input) also provides the phenomenal accompaniment and sound effects during the play. Their musical contributions highlight the excellent comedic timing of the cast and play with the mood within scenes by incorporating familiar melodies to comedic effect. The production is highly collaborative in its directing, with cast members meeting and putting everything together only two weeks before the run of the show. While the technical elements in Shakespeareian style productions are minimalistic compared to twenty-first century expectations, the crew and lighting is excellent in supporting the onstage action.
Nick Crapo is the polished and pompous Faustus. He spews Latin with ease in the opening scene, showcasing the acumen that serves as a foil for his character’s intense interest in the dark arts. Crapo compellingly captures the whole range of Faustus’s emotions, from the self-assurance of a suave scholar to the charisma of a people-pleasing charmer to the desperation of the nearly damned. The drama and fear in the final scene is palpable, thanks to Crapo’s acting chops and the talent of his costar, J Attridge. Faustus’s personal demon and contracted companion, Mephistophilis, is played by J Attridge. Attridge plays to the audience, the actors, and the character seamlessly with inexhaustible wit and heart. And Attridge is nothing short of riveting in this role. Attridge’s Mephistophilis choked on words relating to deity in a delightful bit that is both character-driven and comedic, allowing for audience input—a beloved staple in Grassroots productions.
The rest of the cast members have their hands full, playing about a half dozen characters each to create the world (and underworld) of the play. Drake Hansen is an old favorite of the Grassroots stage, and his acting in Doctor Faustus only cements the legacy. He portrays a playful devil, a pouting knight, and a perplexed pope with humor that contrasts with the imposing figure he strikes as Lucifer, the devil-king himself. Sara Goldberg embues her characters with enough sass and savvy to sway even the most determined demons or frightened Faustus. Her feigned pomp and impediment-ridden speech as the emperor of Germany is a comedic highlight of the show, and her impressive pipes elevate the preshow. Laura Wright (Robin) and Lisa Shoell (Dick) play off each other exceptionally well as a comedy duo, and Berlyn Johns stands clear and undaunted in the role as narrator and Good Angel. Daisy Sherman may play second fiddle in many of her roles (including Wagner, Faustus’ assistant) but her comedic responses and dedication to each curious character and their antics is delightful.
The cast leans into the comedy bits and the macabre scenes with equal amounts of energy and art, creating a smooth-running play that skillfully and authentically hits on a half-dozen different emotions. But these emotions don’t disappear during the scene changes. I believe that the main distinguishing factor between high art and the ephemeral is the thoughts and feelings the performance leaves you with when the final curtain falls. Doctor Faustus is a feast for thought, and, as one cast member wisely said from what certainly seemed like personal experience, it offers a nearly unmatched opportunity to process the themes of agency and religion, damnation and redemption. Some of this processing includes adult themes: mentions of suicide, brief depictions of self harm, and demonstrations of the seven deadly sins that cause the company to label this as a PG-13 equivalent show. However, Grassroots’s performance of this naturally dark subject matter illuminates certain connections to the mind and ends up elevating the viewer—providing you with plenty of ways to think outside The Box. For these and many other reasons, the Grassroots Shakespeare Company’s Doctor Faustus in Salt Lake City, UT, is a triumph of Elizabethan theatre in our day. If you’re in the market for a Halloweeny performance, Doctor Faustus is a spectacular spooky offering that is sure to give you something to laugh, shiver, and think about.
The Grassroots Shakespeare Company presents Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe
The Box, The Gateway 124 S 400 W, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
October 14–31, 2022. Performances on Friday, Saturday, and Monday at 7:30 PM (Preshow at 7 PM)
Tickets: $15
Grassroots Shakespeare Company Facebook Page
Doctor Faustus Facebook Event
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