{"id":358543,"date":"2024-09-01T15:21:38","date_gmt":"2024-09-01T19:21:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/?p=358543"},"modified":"2024-09-01T15:21:38","modified_gmt":"2024-09-01T19:21:38","slug":"a-stirring-heros-journey-in-pilgrims-progress-at-museum-of-the-bible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/2024\/09\/01\/a-stirring-heros-journey-in-pilgrims-progress-at-museum-of-the-bible\/","title":{"rendered":"A stirring hero’s journey in ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’ at Museum of the Bible"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the curtains parted on The Pilgrim\u2019s Progress<\/em> at the Museum of the Bible\u2019s World Stage Theater Thursday night, the darkness, eerie lighting, and sounds of rain and thunder that opened the production echoed the thunderstorms outside. The outer storms vividly mirrored the torment of Pilgrim (Jesse Gould), who appears on stage physically struggling under the weight of a heavy burden on his back and emotionally wrestling with the decision to flee from his hometown, which he has been warned is destined for destruction. Despite his agony when his wife (Olivia Singleton) and children (Benji Hawley and William Singleton) refuse to join him, Pilgrim runs out into the rainy night, leaving all that he knows behind. The outer manifestations of inner struggles, however, will follow him throughout his journey.<\/p>\n

Presented by the Academy of Arts Logos Theatre, The Pilgrim\u2019s Progress<\/em> was adapted from John Bunyan\u2019s 17-century allegory by Kathryn Venegas, a master\u2019s student in the Academy of Arts\u2019 Conservatory program. It premiered at the Logos Theatre\u2019s home venue in Taylors, South Carolina, in spring 2023 before going on tour. Directed by Nicole Stratton (the Academy of Arts\u2019 artistic director), Venegas\u2019 adaptation streamlines Bunyan\u2019s sprawling allegory into two acts and two hours, performed by an ensemble cast of 30. (In a welcome 21st-century update, the Logos Theatre casts women in some of the originally nearly all-male roles.)<\/p>\n

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Jesse Gould (Christian) and Sam Singleton (Help) in the Slough of Despond in \u2018Pilgrim\u2019s Progress.\u2019 Photo courtesy of the Logos Theatre.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In keeping with Bunyan\u2019s allegory, and with the European theatrical tradition of morality plays (a precursor to The Pilgrim\u2019s Progress<\/em>), most of the cast members play characters personifying virtues or vices, as indicated by their names. Most serve either to aid or thwart Pilgrim in his journey toward the Celestial City, the destination described by Evangelist (Berend Sandersfeld) early in the play. While Christian symbolism is present in the Logos Theatre\u2019s earlier touring productions at the World Stage Theater (The Horse and His Boy<\/em><\/a> in 2023 and Prince Caspian<\/em><\/a> last spring), in The Pilgrim\u2019s Progress<\/em> it is front and center. Christian viewers (who undoubtedly composed the majority of the audience on opening night) will be most familiar with and stirred by the numerous biblical references, both in symbolism, allusions, and direct quotations. Yet the tale, and Logos Theatre\u2019s adaptation of it, also contains broader resonance as a vivid example of the hero\u2019s journey or monomyth \u2014 as seen in many stories across times and cultures.<\/p>\n

Viewed through this lens, Evangelist (a name and role fraught with baggage in the 21st century) becomes the messenger calling Pilgrim to the adventure of his life. When Pilgrim encounters the cross in the first act, his burden (and the accusers that have been hounding him) fall away. He receives the new name of Christian, and he is given white robes to cover his shabby brown tunic and breeches (costume design by Lucy Parker), which powerfully evokes both Christian conversion and the crossing of the threshold into a new stage of adventure. For Pilgrim (now Christian), this is not the end but merely the beginning, as he has a long journey \u2014 and many trials \u2014 yet ahead of him.<\/p>\n

The technical aspects of the production blend beautifully to bring these trials to life. In addition to playing the title role, Gould doubles as the set designer. Elements such as stepping stones, a tree, and an archway perform multiple functions along Pilgrim\/Christian\u2019s journey. Gauzy hangings (evocative of Spanish moss) in the swampy Slough of Despond and the heavy chains draping from the ceiling in Giant Despair\u2019s gloomy castle blend with Sam Singleton\u2019s lighting design and Logos Theatre\u2019s original soundtrack (Caleb Smedra and Olivia Singleton) and sound design (Olivia Singleton and Kathryn Popkin) to create terrifying scenes of cinematic quality. Projections on the left and right walls of the World Stage Theater (Joe Hainsworth and Jeremiah Gould) extend the scenery off the stage and immerse audiences in the world of the play.<\/p>\n

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TOP (Apollyon): Jesse Gould (Christian), Benji Hawley (Child 1), William Singleton (Child 2), Olivia Singleton (Pilgrim\u2019s Wife), and Charlie Belk (Apollyon); ABOVE (Vanity Fair): Harrison Winkley (World Wise), Noah Stratton (Faithful), Jesse Gould (Christian), Ben Pilgrim (Vanity Fairgoer), and Sam Singleton (Vanity Fairgoer), in \u2018Pilgrim\u2019s Progress.\u2019 Photos courtesy of the Logos Theatre.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

No hero\u2019s journey would be complete without villains, and the villains in The Pilgrim\u2019s Progress<\/em> are perhaps the most skillfully devised aspect of the play. The demonic creature Apollyon, clad in 3D-printed mask and armor and huge clawed batwings, and the hulking Giant Despair are the stuff of nightmares. Logos Theatre\u2019s puppetry team, led by Justin Swain, transforms Charlie Belk into both roles. One might note that the crusader-like armor worn by Christian to defend himself against these attackers resembles religious imagery carried by some of the U.S. Capitol rioters on January 6, 2021, just blocks from the World Stage Theater. Yet Christian\u2019s struggle is personal, not political, and he uses his sword and shield only against his own demons.<\/p>\n

Before the show opened, Academy of Arts Executive Director Noah Stratton encouraged the audience that \u201cwhile we live so much of our lives on screens these days, this is a live theater production. If you want to laugh, laugh. If you want to cry or shout amen, that\u2019s okay too.\u201d In an age where we live so much of our lives on screens, and fight so many of our battles in our own heads, The Logos Theatre\u2019s production of The Pilgrim\u2019s Progress<\/em> is an immersive, embodied reminder of the power of live theater to inspire us all to keep going in our own journeys \u2014 and to lend one another a helping hand along the way.<\/p>\n

Running Time: Approximately two hours, including a 15-minute intermission.<\/p>\n

The Pilgrim\u2019s Progress <\/em><\/strong><\/a>plays through October 6, 2024, presented by The Academy of Arts Logos Theatre,<\/a>\u00a0performing at the World Stage Theater <\/a>on the fifth and sixth floors of the Museum of the Bible<\/a>, 400 4th Street SW, Washington, DC. Tickets ($54\u2013$89) are available for purchase online, <\/strong><\/a>at the Museum, or by calling (866) 430-MOTB.<\/p>\n