Two men walk into a bar...

By Frank Furnari, New Rep Reviewer

A man is in a bar having a drink and a salesman working for God looks him over and notes “you have sinned.” The salesman offers to sell him an indulgence. Yes, the Catholic way to hedge your bets for getting into heaven and yes, it's legitimate. This begins the play Indulgences, a fractured and funny fairy tale, by Chris Caddock.

We are introduced to two men, simply known as Man 1 and Man 2 who realize that they are very alike in many ways. The two men decide that they are so much alike that they could switch lives and no one would be the wiser, as one of the men puts it "Anyone can be anyone." Next we meet Malcolm, the prince and presumptive heir along with his lover, Fleance (who both happen to speak a sort of fake-Shakespearean English). The couple are plotting to kill the King so that they can be together. Finally, there are the two royal advisors who know about the prince's gay lover, the regicide plot and are trying to scheme so they can gain more power for themselves. It seems confusing as I write it, and is hard to give it justice, but it didn't matter at the time. Indulgences is a very funny mix of familiar tales, great lines, and quick wit. It is a sort of fairy tale meets Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead with a bit of Eugene Ionesco thrown in for good measure (if that makes sense). There is a message that Craddock is trying to convey through the laughter about free will and gay marriage. At a few points, it does seem that the author is trying to emphasize his point a little too much, but since it’s done in such an amusing way he seems to get away with it.

Kate Warner directs a tight production with a stellar cast. While I could say good things about the entire I cast, I will limit myself to a few comments. Benjamin Evett is great as the salesman, trying to broker deals and in conversations with God about free will and God’s ineffable plan. The always-wonderful Leigh Barrett is very funny in this production as the scheming advisor with a facial mole that seems to change location every scene. Neil A. Casey is a comic genius as always in his role as the second man, his subtle moves and facial expressions add depth and more laughs to his performance. If you are looking for an off-beat but funny night of theatre, Indulgences will not disappoint.