Ryan Reeder
History 390R
Derr and Esplin
March 8, 2001
I enjoyed this play as well as the food that was so generously prepared beforehand. I had a good seat on the front row-so close that I could have reached out and touched the actor portraying Hyrum Smith at times. It began with several minutes of seeing the characters in various poses, doing various things, without talking. It helped me to imagine somewhat that I was there, or at least granted to observe Liberty Jail during the winter of 1839. There were only five actors who were on stage the entire time, some playing double roles in Joseph Smith's frequent flashbacks. I recognized the Alexander McRae/ Oliver Cowdery actor (Doug Stewart) from Richard Dutcher's movie God's Army, but he didn't look as Asian somehow here as he did there. It was good to be there with several other class members.
As a historical interpretation of the time the prophet and others spent in Liberty Jail, it is interesting. We see escape attempts and various personalities portrayed in manners we can assume are accurate, including for the few type characters. It's especially interesting to note the context Howe puts Joseph's plea in what is now Doctrine and Covenants 121:1-6. She describes it as a poignant cry of agony. I've also noticed several literary techniques, indicating that it may not have come forth in one moment of anguished cry, but was built out of the conditions. She does an excellent job portraying those conditions, though, and the thought- and emotion-provoking qualities of the play are present.
The play itself was intelligent, with high theatrical values for the most part. One thing I noticed, which may have been intentional, was that the play doesn't seem to follow a storyline. Events, dialogue, and flashbacks occurred repeatedly as the Prophet came to a greater realization of the purpose of this crucible. The one thing the prisoners had was time, and that seems to be portrayed. It's as if we were watching a couple of hours of actual occurrences in Liberty Jail, bookended by Hyrum's singing of "Adam-Ondi-Ahman" ("This Earth was Once a Garden Place"). While I didn't find this structure necessarily satisfying as an audience member, I could see the symbolism Howe used in putting it in. The thoughts and ideas were provocative and poignant. Howe also chose to use a simple style, rather than one of pageantry, evoking images of the dreary reality of their dungeon prison. The actors and crew members put on a skilled performance. It was a good play.