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‘Cotton Patch’ at Theatrical Outfit
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
THEATER REVIEW. “Cotton Patch Gospel.” Through Nov. 20.
There’s something fishy and cosmic going on up Gainesville way. The kind of strangeness that lets a rogue prophet feed 5,000 people with a couple of cans of sardines and a few saltines, perform faith-healing miracles on Stone Mountain, and prophesy his own lynching when he gets in trouble with the law.
This is how the late Clarence Jordan fused the patois of North Georgia with the politics of the Civil Rights era to retell the story of Christ as “The Cotton Patch Version of Matthew and John.” Jordan, who died in 1969, wanted to strip away the regal fabric of most biblical translations to render Jesus as a country mystic who starts life in an apple crate (as opposed to a manger) and gathers his disciples in the conference room of the Unadilla Travelodge.
Just seconds into Tom Key, Russell Treyz and Harry Chapin’s musical adaptation, “Cotton Patch Gospel,” we realize that we aren’t in Bethlehem anymore. And by the end of the quaint and folksy show that Key has been performing in various configurations for the past 20 years, we see ourselves through the prism of history and feel an uncanny sense of deja vu: After all this time, we civilized humans remain quick to attack what we don’t understand.
Don’t get me wrong. Director Susan Reid’s “Cotton Patch” is a boisterously timed comedic hootenanny that succeeds as a crowd-pleasing entertainment for people of all faiths. Essentially a one-man gag in which Key acts out all the parts surrounded by a two-person chorus and a five-man acoustic ensemble, it’s a high-spirited, toe-tapping deglamorization of the most familiar Sunday school lesson of all, from the Nativity to the Crucifixion.
Part of the thrill of this show is the speed and economy of Key’s transitions —- from Matthew (the narrator) to Christ to Herod and so on. With the energy of a man 20 years younger, he hops on crates, trolleys and other shaky-looking props with a gymnast’s precision. His familiarity with the cadences of Southern speech comes through in his barnstorming portrayal of John the Baptist and his goofus interpretation of Lyman Lovejoy, the farmer who witnessed the virgin birth. Key fairly mocks the angel of the Lord by investing him with a faux-Brit accent and some serious wing-flapping affectations.
Vocalist Alecia Robinson knows something about the fine art of acting out a song. [“Mama Is Here” will give you goosebumps.] She’s lovely to look at, too. Eric Moore’s voice is as lustrous and caramel-rich as ever. And the band —- fiddler John Grimm, bassist Ryan Richardson and guitarists Buck Peacock, Rick Taylor and Rob Lawhon (recently seen in “Hank Williams: Lost Highway”) —- not only has that authentic country sound, but also adds heft to the crowd scenes and fills in as Jesus’ followers.
The curious thing about this show, for me at least, is that it portrays Christ not so much as a victim as an instigator. Was he a fraud, a madman or the son of God? That’s tricky, and the fascinating thing is that “Cotton Patch” doesn’t really give you a clear answer, unless you want it to. This isn’t heresy, but testimony to the rigor of the spiritual debate.
Ultimately, what impresses about “Cotton Patch” is the way it ponders the state of the world today, with all its terror, fear, hate, war, catastrophe and shortages. The teachings of “Cotton Patch” author Jordan —- who espoused a philosophy of love over violence, shared possessions and a conservation of natural resources —- ring true like never before. The error of persecuting and indicting out of ignorance is unequivocal, because innocent people can and do get hurt.
THE 411: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays; 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Also 2:30 p.m. Oct. 22. $15-$50. Through Nov. 20. Theatrical Outfit, Balzer Theater at Herren’s, 84 Luckie St., Atlanta. 678-528-1500; www.theatricaloutfit.org.
Verdict: Might make you believe, in something.
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