Dark comedy lights up the dark ages

Wade Livingston, Bernie Cardell, and Brian Brooks
Photo by Brian Miller

If you steal bread to feed your starving family, is it wrong? If you rob from the rich to give to the poor, are you a hero? These are age old ethical questions that have been explored by playwrights and writers throughout the years. Robin Hood is the most well known example of doing something that may seem wrong, but with the right intentions behind it. Of course, there are many more examples of such issues.  This is also the plot of Michael Hollinger’s Incorruptible, now playing at Firehouse Theater Company.

Incorruptible, directed by Pat Payne, is a dark comedy that takes place during the dark ages. It is about a group of monks in a small abbey that are in dire economic times, as they struggle to come up with money with which to feed the poor and help their small community. As they struggle, all eyes turn to the Pope, whose promised visit will surely encourage pilgrims to make the trek to their small abbey and help bring in some income. The monks then find out that a rival church claims to possess the relics of Saint Foy, and these old bones are working miracles for all that visit their church, thus causing the Pope to skip his visit to their small abbey and visit the miracle causing bones at the rival church. All seems lost until the monks take a lesson from a larcenous one-eyed minstrel. This minstrel teaches them that no one actually knows for sure whose bones they are, and that a little deceit can go a long way. The monks realize they are sitting on a gold mine with a full cemetery out back.

Bernie Cardell, Photo by Brian Miller

So, we have a play that centers around grave-robbing monks that steal bones of the deceased and sell them, claiming that they are the bones of various Saints. Of course, being monks, they use the money for charitable causes. Underneath the wacky, farce-like comedy, is an interesting theme that centers around deciding what is truly right and wrong, and determining if the end truly justifies the means. I love comedy with depth, and Incorruptible has the depth. Most of the depth comes from Jack Wefso as Brother Felix. Brother Felix is the youngest of the monks, and tries to maintain his belief in right and wrong, add to that his back story of his lost love and a beautiful and touching monologue in which he explains why he chose this path. Wefso brings an unexpected depth that is a welcome layer to the zany comedy that is surrounding him.

Speaking of zany comedy, Bernie Cardell’s portrayal of Brother Martin is delightful to watch. Cardell is the master of the pause. He knows exactly the right timing and exactly how to hold a pause to bring maximum impact to any joke. With Cardell, it is often the unspoken moments that are even funnier than his actual lines. Jesse Pearlman brings a wonderful warmth to Brother Olf, the mentally slower monk that takes all the brunt work. Pearlman makes Olf an adorable and warm character that the audience just wants to run up and hug.

Wade Livingston plays the Abbot Charles, and he does quite well. He is very believable as the slightly sinister Abbot and brings a very nice layer of cynicism to the show. My only comment to Livingston would be to be aware of his volume, especially as he is facing upstage. Often his lines were very quiet, which was a clear and correct character choice, but made there were several lines that I missed. Brian Brooks as the one-eyed minstrel is strong as well, bringing a boy-next-door charm to the character. Brooks makes much more subtle choices, which contrasts with the bigger choices being made by Cardell and the other monks. The contrast in these choices makes for a very believable fish-out-of-water situation for Brooks. He doesn’t fit in with the rest of the cast, nor should he – as he is the new-comer to the group.

This is not an all male cast though and the women in the show bring some wonderful moments. Rita Broderick as the peasant woman is wonderfully underhanded as she tries to make ends meet. Her anger and frustration with her situation are clearly defined by a hopelessness that the character must be feeling due to her economic situation. As a result, Broderick is lovable and the audience cares what happens to her character. Too much anger can make it very easy to detach from the character, as is the case with Beth Davis’s character. Davis played Marie, the minstrel’s wife, as very angry and often yelling at her precarious husband. Now, actors make choices and Davis stuck to her choice quite strongly, but the connection and relationship between Marie and her husband was missing, and this was due, in part, to the level of anger she portrayed.

Pat Payne handled the direction admirably. Payne is often referred to as the “farce-master,” in that he knows timing and he knows the rhythm of farce. Incorruptible is one-part farce and one-part comedy with heart, so Payne’s comedic timing paid off quite well and he still kept all the heart and meaning to the show. The only thing I found difficult in the show as a whole was that the bulk of the serious moments all hit at the same time – in the second act. The first act is wild and hilarious and kept me laughing start to finish, while the second act brings a much more serious tone. This, of course, is the writer’s choice, but it does feel like a different show in parts. While the serious moments are well acted and still very strong, it is such a departure from the hilarity of the first act. I do also want to mention the set design by Biz Schaugaard. It brings you immediately into the small abbey and the dark ages, it is impressive in its simplicity and makes a for a stunning set.

Incorruptible is a strong show with a strong cast. The humor is quick and comes at you often. While much of the humor is based in Christianity, it was still universal enough that this Jew could understand it and keep up with it. This show is very unexpected and even risky in parts, and I thoroughly  enjoyed it. It is a welcome change from the traditional comedies that pepper the Denver theatre scene right now, and I certainly suggest you go and see this show. It is playing at the John Hand Theater through May 9th. Buy your tickets now, they are sure to sell out.