Review: “Washed in the Blood” at the NuBox Theatre
Anthony Piccione, Associate New York Critic
On October 1st, 2015, the students at Umpqua Community College in Oregon became among the many to have experienced the firsthand horror of gun violence in their school, as an armed shooter opened fire on them, immediately after asking each of them the question: “Do you believe in God?” To this day, questions remain over the shooter’s exact motives, and why he would ask his victims that question. However, in Washed in the Blood – Joshua Crone’s fictionalized depiction of these horrific events – we are offered an idea of what might have happened that led to such a tragic incident.
This production is just the latest to come from Mr. Crone, after a successful run of his romantic drama Squatters this past fall. While that play, set in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, was certainly one of the finer plays I’d reviewed in 2018, this play exceeded my newly elevated expectations from his work, in terms of the play’s ability to tackle contemporary issues on a human level, and the emotional impact the stories told leave on you.
Staged in the intimate setting at the NuBox Theatre, the production utilizes a combination of live performance along with audio and video recordings – featuring the supporting characters who surround the lives of Keith, Kevin and Jim – to create a multimedia experience that takes us through the events that lead up to the tragic shootings that occur, and set the dark and chilling tone and atmosphere that is prominent in this story. In a small space where it may be difficult to create more than minimalistic theatre, this deft use of new media to help tell the story significantly enhances the theatrical experience.
Of course, the trio of actors who appear on stage are also a major part of the production worth mentioning. In the role of youth pastor Jim, Mr. Crone turns in a respectable performance that highlights the fear that the character clearly feels over the course of the show. Alec Nevin also does an exceptional job at bringing to life the role of the rebellious teen outsider Kevin. The strongest performance, however, was that of Daniel Saulle in the role of Keith, whose performance as a traumatized, once innocent Christian student is charming at times, sympathetic at others, and consistently engaging.
The one downside I can think of to this production is that it only runs for one weekend, and thus the opportunities to catch it are rather limited. However, if you do read this review before its final performance, I would strongly urge you to see this compelling drama while you can. With the ongoing issue of gun violence that remains unresolved, along with a debate and discussion on the role religion plays in society since well before the founding of this country, this is a vital and gripping drama that deserves to be seen by as many people as possible.
WASHED IN THE BLOOD
“Washed in the Blood” stars Daniel Saulle, Alec Nevin, Joshua Crone, Billy Malone, Varda Appleton, Dolores Susan Merino, Samantha Schriger, Daniel Rashid, Nate Werner, Tessa Brightman, Justin Boss, Kristin McGuire & Andrew Rahal.
“Washed in the Blood” is written and directed by Joshua Crone, featuring assistant director/tech assistant Tim Palmer & music by Karolina Naziemiec.
“Washed in the Blood” runs at the NuBox Theatre, located at 754 9th Ave, New York, NY, from April 26th-28th.