The Amateurs takes us back to 14th Century Europe where the Black Death is wiping out the population. We meet a scrappy troupe of medieval pageant players. They are travelling to outrun the disease with their pageant wagon, a movable stage which was used for centuries to present religious mystery or miracle plays. The troupe wants to perfect their act, present it to the Duke and hopefully be rewarded with permanent, safer residence within the city walls. The story they are rehearsing is Noah’s Flood.
When the play opens, our actors are performing the seven deadly sins in mask, although one member has to play both envy and covetousness. As they travel, they are losing members of their troupe to the plague. While this all sounds very grim, The Amateurs is actually quite a bit lighter and funnier than expected. The play is a mashup of situation comedy, history lesson, a challenge to authority, and “let’s put on a show” juxtaposed with a very good, but very long, meta section. The playwright Jordan Thompson (Marjorie Prime) has a lot to say and is not afraid to take risks.
The scenic design by David Zinn (SpongeBob SquarePants, Fun Home) creates a black world; think a simple mound of darkly colored grass. A nifty pageant wagon opens up with painted scenery which is used for rehearsals and performances. One of the major themes in The Amateurs is the role of art during times of crisis and uncertainty. How art evolves and comments on the human condition, as it did after the medieval period with the Renaissance. Going even further, the play considers more contemporary parallels.
I cannot put my finger on what exactly was missing for me in The Amateurs. I left the theater more conceptually impressed than intellectually and theatrically satisfied. A fine production with a strong cast. A unique play but slightly boring too.