Concordia University’s ‘The Collective’ is rounding out 2016 with their second performance of the season. “The Death and Life of John Smith” is a new play written by Will Dunne in association with Chicago Dramatists. It follows John Smith, a devout Christian who wakes up in Hell, referred to as Hades, with no recollection of how he got there. Beside him is a woman who informs him of his whereabouts, and the narrative follows Smith as he tries to piece together the final days of his life.
Compared to performances in the past year, “The Death and Life of John Smith” features a smaller, tighter cast, which works very well in its favor. The play aims to piece together clues behind Smith’s life, and the idea that there are only few characters with the knowledge of his life, successfully drives the mystery further.
John Smith is portrayed by sophomore Eamon Gonzalez. Gonzalez has made a lasting impression from his appearances in “Crawling Between Heaven and Earth,” as well as “An Enemy of the People.” His performances are notable with his voice, which resonates throughout the theatre granting him undivided attention. Gonzalez’s posture stands firm in moments of power, yet he is flawlessly able to demonstrate weakness through changes of emotion on his face and structure.
The female lead is Gloria Smirnov, portrayed by senior Kaycee Jordan. Her performance alongside Gonzalez stands outright, demonstrated by her ability to change her persona from a quirky one-liner youth to a sensual adulterous woman. Jordan’s performance matches, if not exceeds, Gonzalez in key moments of the play.
Supporting characters include an exuberant Archangel (portrayed by David Ziebart) and sly demon (portrayed by Matt Bender).
What absolutely stood out immediately about the play was the stage itself. The stage is dressed in flat-white structures which indicate that the location is not of Earth. Colors that touch the canvas paint emotions the characters are feeling, such as blue for sadness and pink for romance.
“The Death and Life of John Smith” will close out at The Madison Street Theatre on Sunday, November 20 for a 2pm performance. You can catch it beforehand on November 18 and 19 for a 7:30pm performance. Tickets are available at CUCDeath.Brownpapertickets.com, or at The Madison Street Theatre (cash only).
