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| Justin Pietropaolo; photo: Erika Floriani |
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Caleb, a Confederate soldier, staggers into his family home in Richmond, Virginia late one night in April, 1865 to find the place almost deserted, in catastrophic shape, and unwelcoming. As his house is in ruins, so is his life. He has been shot in the leg, his horse has literally died on the doorstep, his famly is dispersed and the woman he loved has disappeared, still carrying his child. Within minutes of his arrival he discovers a former slave, Simon, living in the mansion, and Simon sets about doing his work for the old masters setting things aright. This is an unusual situation to begin with, but it is complicated by the fact that the family are Jewish and their slaves have been raised in the Jewish faith. To make matters more difficult it is two days before the beginning of Passover and Simon wants to hold a seder, the ceremonial service and meal, for himself and for Caleb.
Life becomes more complicated when John, another former slave and Caleb's childhood playmate, returns to the home.The former closesness that existed by John and Caleb is gone with the winds of war and, with his injuries getting the better of him, John finds himself holding all the cards and playing a winning hand.
This is the third production I have seen of this play in the last eight years and it is a play that only becomes richer with time and rehearing it. This time around Oldcastle Theatre in Bennington, Vermont is putting the play on its feet, and terrific feet they are, too. Herb Parker plays Simon, Brandon Rubin plays John and Justin Pietropaolo plays Caleb under the direction of Eric Peterson on a wonderful set designed by Carl Sprague.
The play is primarily set in real time, with one flashback scene at the top of the second act wherein Caleb recites the text of a love letter he has written to Sarah. While it is meant to be both fact revealing and actually moving, it's real purpose seems to be to prolong the play for some of the letter is revealed again in the following scene and it disturbs the reality of a severly wounded man for whom the remedy has been worse than the cause by presenting him whole, healthy and standing up which is not something Caleb does throughout the rest of the play.
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