Theater debut finishes 'Far Away' from shaky start

Condense Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" into any Poe creation, and you'll have Caryl Churchill's strange play, "Far Away." It's short - less than an hour long - and packed with awful political themes such as war, subjugation and tyranny. It's one of those works that, while uninspiring at first glance, begins to gnaw its way into the imagination.

Revolve Theatre Company, Tampa's self-proclaimed "daring and edgy new theater company," chose Churchill's 2000 dystopia for its inaugural production. Performed at Gorilla Theatre, the show at first teetered on the edge of amateur hour. This was not a surprising result from a fledgling troupe, especially one at the mercy of a disruptive downpour 25 minutes in.

But after the storm let up, sparks of promise began to fly under Chris Jackson's direction.

"Far Away" opens in a land of fear, where a young Joan (Jackie Rivera) tells her aunt, Harper (Bridget Bean), that just outside the house she saw her uncle bludgeon a child and load a body onto a truck. Blood was everywhere, children were locked in a shed and cries could be heard from a van parked outside.

Though it appears otherwise, Harper explains that Joan's uncle is actually rescuing these people from the ones who want to hurt them. Harper is quick with lies to satisfy the child's curiosity and concern.

Later, Joan finds work at a hat factory. Another employee, Todd (Eric Burgess), confides that management is corrupt and all is not as it seems.

Todd and Joan then become soldiers in a war that irrationally recruits not just humans, but all of nature. Crocodiles can never be trusted, and not all deer are bad. The river, however, changes its mind with the current; it chooses to carry or drown on a whim.

Churchill's chilling worst-case scenario, in which the world attacks itself, is the play's strength. The notion of intentional destruction infecting and motivating once impartial forces is more terrifying than any pit or pendulum.

This production was fueled primarily by Bean's riveting performance. Her presence was authentic, substantial and earthy. She's one of the most watchable actors in Tampa Bay, and it was a pleasure seeing her on stage again.

Burgess was solid and did as much with his character as possible. Rivera achieved the same, and her final monologue - the one that best elucidated the play's meaning - was especially compelling.

With this first ambitious effort under its belt, Revolve should expect a successful evolution in the theater community.

THEATER REVIEW

Far Away

WHEN: Through Sunday; 8 p.m. today, 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Saturday, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday

WHERE: Gorilla Theatre, 4419 N. Hubert Ave., Tampa

HOW MUCH: $20 to $25, depending on date of performance; call (813) 879-2914 or visit www.gorillatheatre.com

RUNNING TIME: 45 minutes