Yes, freshman playwright Scott A. Livingston has taken on an all but impossible task; and yes, he's chosen a forum for presentation that severely limits his options. (He's tried to combine religion, racial prejudice and spiritual conversion in a stage production that must be clean, tidy and non-offensive.)
No, "Free at Last" doesn't get us liberated.It's an uneven production of only moderate success.
Livingston has attempted to tell the story of blacks in the LDS Church, their lives and frustrations born in the time before black men were given full rights and privileges as priesthood holders.
He's chosen to focus on three men and their stories, "Angry Les," "Easy-to-Convert Cal" and "Bitter Bennion."
The problem is the stories are only told in choppy little bits and mostly through the same scenario re-enacted a half-dozen times. Transitions are awkward and forced. The black men are understandably confused and alternately furious with the policy against granting priesthood authority to "any with a drop of the seed of Cain."
They're trying to work their feelings out as Cal - almost overnight - embraces the gospel of the Mormons. Except for some winning moments with the missionaries who "teach' them one, no, two times, it's a pretty unrealistic and unbelievable journey.
There's a curious combination of not enough time devoted to character and story development and too much time lagging along between lines. It becomes tremendously ponderous waiting for something to happen.
When it does, it's a nice relief even if it's only another fight.
The pacing is a real problem.
So is character development, especially for the mother whose influence is supposed to be greatly felt later on. She isn't very powerful at all.
Les, played by Jason Ball, vacillates widely between his blind, dangerous anger and this almost mentorlike compassion for his brother Cal. He's a wild card.
Bennion, played by Abdullah Mills, is sporadic as well. He has some strong scenes that show he can act, but it isn't kept up.
Cal, played by Hubert K. Wiggins III, is one of the most believable and likable of the characters, as is the greenie missionary, Elder Bush, played by Daniel Brierton Sharp.
Sharp provides what comic relief this play offers and is quite genuinely the brash new elder many LDS audience members can identify with. His stiff and trunky companion, Elder Mauss, played by James C. Bybee, is also quite good.
Young Ben, played by Clayton Godby, is an addition. It's unfortunate though, that when he's beaten up and spray-painted, the spray can doesn't cooperate.
It's also too bad that a soft drink spilled and stayed on the set floor for several subsequent scenes. It's distracting to have Cal and Ben wading in the Mississippi during the latter half and "forget" they're in the river for much of their discussion.
It's also a little beyond the stretch to have Ben return home after years of being away and find his mother's radio still works (without a cord), the picture of Christ still in its unbroken glass frame on the floor and the old Bible on the nightstand.
There are also some timeline problems. For instance, in 1978, people didn't use the expression "Earth to Elder Bush!' A black man newly introduced to the gospel of Jesus Christ wouldn't be complaining about missing out on temple and eternal blessings.
This play has some potential. The subject is one that can use exploration and it will certainly prompt some discussion on the way out of the theater. However, it's apparent where the author and director have real-life experience with the situations and where they do not.
Almost none of the black interaction feels real. In some places, it's so predictable as to be cliche and probably insulting to black Americans.
The missionary and Sunday School scenes ring more true.
Good intentions aside, this production isn't ready for the light yet, and it has too far to go to get where it needs to be before it'll be over.