BCT lends ‘God’s Ear’

Often times when tragedy strikes, nerves go awry and communicative capabilities seem to subconsciously be pushed to the wayside, irreparable, forever diminishing. Amidst dealing with life-altering circumstances, the distortion of internal confrontation and worldly happenings make it nearly impossible to hear yourself think, let only even imagine listening to someone else’s outbursts. But whether we know it or not, there is always a listening ear.

Boise Contemporary Theater celebrated their 12th season of notable artistic performances in the Treasure Valley by presenting “God’s Ear,” the first of four plays to be showcased this theatrical year.

Written by Jenny Schwartz and directed by Patrick McNulty, “God’s Ear” features a cast of talented actors, conducive to the intimate framing of the intense scenes. Boise State Theater Department faculty member Tracy Sunderland plays Mel, a distraught and confused woman who recently lost her son in a drowning accident. Matthew Cameron Clark, BCT’s artistic director, plays Sunderland’s husband Ted, who tires of holding the seams of their marriage together following their son’s death. The couple’s sanity publicly stretches to the limit as they struggle to place themselves back in their parental roles so soon after the accident for the sake of their young daughter, Lanie, played by Therese Barbato. Other memorable performances by supporting actors include the Tooth Fairy, played by Lynn Allison; G.I. Joe and a transvestite flight attendant, both played Christopher Thometz; the desperate and seductive Lenora, played by Andrea Caban; and Beau Baxter embodied the stereotype of a sex-crazed, sports-loving man.

Despite the dismal story matter, the presentation of the script is very unique – littered with surface level, yet deeply profound and emotional dialogue executed in a rhythmic routine of disconnected lines. McNulty describes the play’s textual aspect as “a kind of avalanche of language.”

“We are continually bombarded on a daily basis by an endless stream of words from TV, the Internet, newspapers and magazines, advertising, radio and salespeople of all shapes and sizes,” McNulty said. “It is difficult to escape the cacophony of language clamoring for our attention, so much so that for many of us the interior experience of our minds begins to reflect this continual noise.”

The play’s closure does not resolve the family’s conflicts. Instead of a happy ending, it offers the audience a view into the lives of three individuals who love one another, even as they grapple with the ways of life. They settle the score by turning in for the night and preparing to face another day again tomorrow, together.

McNulty sums the message up poetically: “The magic of ‘God’s Ear’ is that even as we watch these people floundering with language, we slowly sense over the course of the play that there is an emotional process that is working through the core conflicts as play … We see the beauty of this process and of language’s ability to express our deepest needs and desires.” 

KAYLA CHRISTOPHERSON
Culture Coordinator

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