Indulgences

“Indulgences” is a hard play to describe. It is, indeed, a fractured fairy tale, albeit one that is about the meaning of free will. The play takes place both in the present and in medieval times, with the characters anachronistically sliding from one period to the other. A medieval Prince walks into a bar and orders some mead. A disheveled man in a suit goes to a medieval court and is accepted without comment. The Prince and his male lover plot to kill the King, who stands in the way of their love. Two courtiers plot to kill the Prince, seeking more power for themselves. The King plots to kill a modern-day engineer with whom he has exchanged places. You get the idea.

The factor that connects the characters is the disheveled man (who lies passed out on the stage floor while the audience takes their seats). The man is a salesman for a higher power, and needs to fill his sales quota. He is selling “indulgences.” Like those granted by the Catholic Church, these indulgences are “get-out-of-jail-free” cards that allow sinners to avoid Purgatory when their time comes.

The Salesman is thrilled to find willing customers among the would-be murderers. Then comes the complication: he begins to like his customers and wants to stop them from murdering each other even though that will kill his sales. He consults with his boss, God. She is not sympathetic. She tells the Salesman that the players have to be governed by free will, not divine intervention. This, She explains, is part of her great ineffable plan. “Ineffable plan,” responds the Salesman, “what kind of management directive is that?”

The play takes off after that with farcical twists and turns that are too good to give away here. The acting, and the actors’ comic timing, are superb, causing explosive laughter from the audience. Although all of the actors are excellent, some deserve special mention. Ed Hoopman, who plays the Prince, steals every scene he is in. Neil Casey, the-man-who-would-be-king, is hysterical; you simply cannot ignore him when he is onstage. Leigh Barrett is very, very funny as a scheming courtier. Benjamin Evett, the Salesman, is also top-notch, but his acting was less compelling in the first 20 minutes of the play. I think, however, that this was due to the script. At times, playwright Chris Craddock was a bit heavy-handed in conveying his message about ontology and free will. This is a minor quibble, though. “Indulgences” is a fun, enjoyable play that will leave you with a smile on your face. Go see it.