Against a diagonal back wall of bricks, iron curtains rise to reveal interiors where this drama of the woman of ambiguous virtue plays out. Scenes also pop up across a huge wide stage where realism will meet symbolism and theatricality. A stairway will spiral, as if leading to a circus trapeze or maybe heaven. Rows of seats to one side of the stage will hold actors in waiting, commentators, and often music. A balance of words and music will be stylistically of great import to this staging of The Good Woman of Setzuan.
Scenically, as well as in blocking and style of acting, with frequent monologues and breaks for song, director Jean Bellorini shows he understands epic theater. With the action centered on Karyll Elgrichi’s powerfully complex Shen Te, Bertolt Brecht’s epic dramatic purpose gets fulfilled. We see the people in, and the tenor of, her society that we come to want to change.
Essentially the story, begun by Wang (emphatic Francois Deblock), a water-seller and man of faith, is of a poor city where making a living is hard. Its people complain to the gods, whom they think can improve their lives. Tired of the petitioning, the gods believe people’s problems can be solved by working and being good.
Those who disbelieve in gods and good human nature want universal change in traditional beliefs and conditions so people can become and stay good. To counteract them, three gods visit earth to find a good person who will put them up. Only Shen Te, a prostitute, takes them in, though she loses a trick by doing so.
Though the gods can’t get into economic problems, especially those -- like paying rent that’s overdue -- that cause Shen Te’s “choice” of work, they leave her with money. She’s able to buy a tobacco store but then gets accused of displacing the former owner from business and home, thus hurting his family.
Soon her relatives and a bevy of freeloaders come mooching. They use or steal her wares and deride her business. But it doesn’t stop moochers from coming. They deprecate her, proclaim their hunger, and fight each other in song.
Asked by the gods, Wang reports on Shen Te’s problems. Thinking Yang Sun (sexy Marc Plas) will marry her, she takes a loan to give his mother to buy him a job. Feeling at risk, Shen Te sings doubts about the gods, dons a disguise as a male cousin, and finds Yang Sun only wanted her money to flee with to Peking. Still, shunning barber Shu Fu’s help with her shop and charity, she goes off to marry Yang Sun. He wants more cash and has even sold his mother’s goods.
Learning she’s pregnant, Shen Te (for the sake of her baby) again disguises herself as Shui Tai and goes against all moochers to restore her tobacco business. She actually hires the fundless Yang Su, who advances via profiting from scrimping on the workers. Wang, having had no luck meanwhile getting the gods‘ help, has Shui Tai arrested on suspicion of getting rid of Shen Te.
Wang dreams of the gods condemning a ruthless world with no one being moral. They want one good person. A real trial brings the gods as judges. As one in business, Shui Tai gets praises from police and all. The defendant claims he only did what was needed to save the gods’ gift.
At the revelation of her true identity, Shen Te questions -- as she did at the start -- how can she be good in such a world where good means harm and one must be bad to prosper? So will the gods change the world or at least the rules? Will she be her true good self or have to be Shui Tai for the good of her child?
A final hymn accompanies the gods and the good person’s request... And, despite the excellent acting, powerful singing and innovative staging, the end comes none too soon. This production exemplifies the phrase “too much of a good thing.” Perhaps, on a smaller stage, time between the many episodes can be shorter or the scenes of questioning faster. Audiences of the show’s tour throughout the country should have the chance to find out...sooner and smoother at each performance.
