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THE SAINTLINESS OF MARGERY KEMPE Send This Review to a Friend
Constructing a play about Margery Kempe, born in Norfolk, England in 1378 and died sometime after 1438, is a tall order. In the 15th century she wrote what some consider to be among the first autobiographies in the English language, “The Book of Margery Kempe,” detailing her life as a mystic and deeply religious woman who claimed to have directions from God, battled sexual temptations, operated a brewery, and dealt with many aspects of her turbulent existence. She is reputed to have had as many as 14 children.
Playwright John Wulp has distilled some of her life into this new production (there were previously mounted earlier versions), with Andrus Nichols in the title role and direction by Austin Pendleton. The production is a presentation by the Perry Street Theatre Company and Jonathan Demar in association with Frederick M. Zollo and Diane Procter.
The emphasis here appears to be an attempt to highlight Kempe’s break from the expected position of women in society in her time as a parallel to wider aspirations for women today. But what we see on stage doesn’t mesh with such a leap. Kempe is portrayed as a self-centered dame who doesn’t care about the lives of others and rides roughshod over anyone in the way of her desires or proclamations. She emerges as an unsympathetic if colorful character.
But what we see is of interest, especially given the flamboyant portrait of Kempe as vigorously enacted by Nichols, who dominates the stage throughout in an acting blast. Eight supporting cast members play a variety of roles, from adults to children, including Jason O’Connell, as John, Kempe’s frustrated husband, whose roles also include a friar and thief. Others in the cast are Michael Genet, Thomas Sommo, Pippa Pearthree, Ginger Grace, LaTonya Borsay, Timothy Doyle and Vance Quincy Barton.
The playwright is also responsible for the set design, aiming to sketch a Middle Ages ambience, with the costumes by Barbara A. Bell adding to the period imagery. Ryan Rumery, in addition to his sound design, has provided original music. Pendleton as director struggles to keep all of the broad components making sense and effectively integrated. But dominating everything is the force of Nichols’s performance.
It would take a much more comprehensive play than this conglomeration to do justice to the real Margery Kempe. (Look her up.) But what we do see can stir our interest and engender appreciation for the cast assigned to cover the amount of ground that the play does address. At the Duke on 42nd Street, 229 West 42nd Street. Phone: 646-223-3010. Reviewed July 13, 2018.
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