Battle Hymn
Circle X Theatre Company is one of the most reliable theatres when it comes to providing first-rate entertainment. The shows they present are always challenging and the production values are extremely high. Their current show is no exception. Battle Cry is by the award-winning playwright Jim Leonard and it is getting its world premiere at Inside The Ford the old home of Taper Too and now serves as a home to several theatres without permanent theatre through a partnership with LA County.
The show is about a 16-year-old girl, living during the Civil War, who gets pregnant by her soldier boyfriend and goes looking for him only to find he has another lover, a very tall black man. She decides that the world is too precarious and dangerous and decides to forgo giving birth till times are better. 150 years pass and we see her at various transitional times in our history. Along the way she meets a colorful array of characters that alternately delight and move us. Wherever she turns she finds violence and deceit and finally chooses to have and keep the baby when she discovers that the child is her clone. The lesson of course is that we are responsible for ourselves.
The cast consists of five actors Bill Heck, Robert Manning Jr. William Salyers, John Short and the wonderful Suzy Jane Hunt. Ms. Hunt is onstage the whole time and finds an arch to her character that is riveting, poignant, and funny. All the other characters are skilled at transforming themselves into all the necessary people she meets along the way. They are required to play men and women, black and white, old and young. At one point two of the actors play singing cows. The show never lags thanks to the sharp direction by John Langs. He skillfully guides the cast throughout an ever-changing landscape. The original music by Michael Levine adds just the right feel for the various historical periods. The incredible sets, from the intricate stage frame to the versatile platforms make you feel like you are seeing a show at one of the bigger, better funded theatres in town.
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Theater: Circle X Theatre Company
Web Site: http://www.circlextheatre.org/
Dates: EXTENDED Through March 7h, 2009