“The Prayer Circle” reviewed by Frank Meccia

**** Redtwist Theatre has never been afraid to present plays that make you think, question, and sometimes even feel uncomfortable. Its latest production, the world premiere of The Prayer Circle by Erik Gernard, directed by Dusty Brown, certainly continues that tradition.

And uncomfortable is exactly how I felt watching this play.

Not necessarily because of the story itself, but because of how quickly this story moved from an idea conceived only last year to the stage—and because of the current temperament of our country. Depending on your political views, The Prayer Circle could be interpreted in several very different ways.

The premise is certainly unusual: Imagine being born with the unique ability to wish someone dead. But there is a catch. Your wish can only work from a distance if four people join together in prayer and wish for the same thing. And they can only perform this ritual once a month, in the attic of a Protestant church.

Enter Addy, played by Andi Muriel, a troubled teenager who seems to find trouble wherever she goes. She eventually discovers that she possesses this unusual gift.

The secret is already known within a small group inside the church. Pastor Evans, played by Philip C. Matthews, is still grieving the recent death of his wife from cancer. Before her death, she helped cultivate the prayer group. Her brother, Doug, played by Kezia Waters, is the choir director and another important member of the group.

The group is led by Marilyn, played by Jacqueline Grandt, who oversees the 12-member church group. Carol, played by Macaria Chaparro Martinez, is the voice of morality, constantly asking whether what they are doing is actually right.

The group meets every Saturday in the church attic. Now they want Pastor Evans to join them.

That puts the grieving pastor in an impossible position. He is trying to raise two children, deal with the loss of his wife and continue leading his congregation. For roughly 90 minutes, he argues that they cannot possibly have this power. You simply cannot pray someone to death.

Then comes the demonstration.

And yes, it involves a hamster.

The demonstration is meant to convince Pastor Evans that the group’s power is real. But once he begins listening to their arguments, the situation becomes much more complicated.

The group believes the world could be made safer and better if certain people were eliminated. At one point, the discussion turns directly toward the President and how much easier life could supposedly be if that person were gone.

And this is where The Prayer Circle becomes more than a supernatural story.

The question isn’t simply “Can they do it?”

The bigger question is “What happens when you decide someone deserves to die because you believe the world would be better without them?”

During the conversation, Pastor Evans discovers something even more disturbing: the original 12-member prayer circle has been reduced to only four members because of previous prayers. Once you start using this power, where does it stop?

If you eliminate one person, someone else takes their place. Then another. And another.

The play raises the uncomfortable possibility that there is always going to be someone else you believe is responsible for the world’s problems. Eventually, the solution becomes the problem.

And depending on how you interpret the play, you may find yourself thinking about much more than politics.

The acting and staging are pure Redtwist. The company has always been particularly good at making its intimate black-box space feel much larger than it actually is. Scenic designer Jeff Brain, with stage manager Lauren Volkart, helps create an attic that feels completely believable, even though some of the actors are performing less than a foot away from the audience.

That intimacy makes the story even more powerful. You aren’t watching these people from a comfortable distance. You’re practically sitting in the attic with them, listening to their arguments and watching their moral boundaries disappear.

For more than 22 seasons, Redtwist Theatre has taken on challenging plays that don’t necessarily give audiences easy answers. The Prayer Circle is another example.

This is a production that will probably mean different things to different people. Some audience members may see it primarily as a supernatural thriller. Others may see political commentary. Others may see a story about grief, morality, faith and the dangerous consequences of believing that eliminating one person will solve everything.

I don’t think The Prayer Circle tells you what to think. It asks you to think.

And perhaps that is exactly what Redtwist does best.

As I was always told: don’t judge the book until you’ve read it.

Redtwist Theatre is located at 1044 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. There is plenty of parking in the area, but give yourself an extra 10 minutes to find a space.

Performances are Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3:30 p.m.

Tickets are $50, with senior and veteran tickets at $35 and student tickets at $10.

For tickets and additional information, visit RedtwistTheatre.org.

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round Up and click on “The Prayer Circle”.