Peal is the mastermind of the debut production of Epic Arts Repertory Theatre. In addition to writing the play and starring as the friar, he designed and built the friar’s furniture and composed the music. In a recurring duet Peal croons a monastic chant while his co-star and wife, Laura Depta, sings an Italian Lullaby. Their voices are both somber and hopeful; a fitting complement to this darkly human play.

The action begins twelve years before Romeo and Juliet, during an awkward confessional meeting between the friar and the nurse, played by Depta. The first act is a gem, in which Depta and Peal reveal themselves in emotional bursts behind the anonymity of the confessional screen. Peal depicts them as two vulnerable middle-aged people who have found substitutes for romantic love. The nurse is dedicated to Juliet. The friar is dedicated to God.

A subtext underlying the obvious attraction between the pair is the religious revolution taking place in Germany under the leadership of Martin Luther. The friar’s awareness of Luther’s theology translates into his burgeoning distinction between God’s will and the man-made law of the church. Peal’s friar is a kind, nature-loving man who recognizes that happiness is rare, and should be considered before rejected. “How can God be an enemy to joy?” he asks.

As the nurse, Depta’s character grapples viscerally with the morality of the day and her own desires. Her passionate performance ranges from humorous to strident. She displays an amusing combination of intelligence, piety and bawdiness. The hearty banter between the couple exposes the palpable loneliness of daily life. By comparison, the tenets of the distant church seem meaningless.

The language is not Shakespearian, and occasionally the dialogue is heavy handed. “The physical urge is for procreation, not enjoyment,” spouts the friar, though it’s apparent he questions the words as they leave his mouth. Like Shakespeare, the plot is neatly packaged, though in much simpler terms than ever employed by the Bard.

Lon Bumgarner’s set design is darkly illuminating. The friar’s cell is cold and prisonlike, but infused with small touches that reveal the friar’s character. Two rugged crosses made of crooked branches bound together by rope decorate the walls. A ratty swatch of burlap used as a confessional screen is dappled with flowers the friar has hung to dry.

Bumgarner’s direction adds cohesion to the production. Depta and Peal revel in drunken mirth while kicking over bottles and rolling on the floor, yet they skirt each other skillfully. When Depta escapes through the friar’s window she turns toward him in pose that touchingly parallels Juliet’s balcony scene. At its core, this sad play sweetly validates the desires of the human heart.

Lynn Trenning, June 13, 2003