By Alan Jozwiak
The avant garde musical In the Green, by composer and lyricist Grace McLean, is now being produced by UC’s College Conservatory of Music’s Musical Theatre Program. The name “In the Green” made me think of the phrase “in the pink,” which indicates that a person is whole and healthy. However, being “pink” (coming from the Shakespearean ‘pinke’ meaning the pinnacle) can take many forms: physical, mental, and spiritual. It is the last two forms of this phrase that lie at the heart of In the Green.
Background
Commissioned by the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in 2019, In the Green tells the story of medieval mystic, composer, writer, abbess, and seer Hildegard von Bingen who gets sent away as a young girl to live in a convent in Germany during the height of the Middle Ages (1106 AD). She will stay secluded with her mentor and “anchoress.” The anchoress, Jutta Von Sponheim (Chloe Lezotte), is a woman who leaves society to live a solitary life of prayer and denial of the body.
Under Von Sponheim, Hildegard–played by a chorus of performers–will try to tame her body through controlling her Eye (Julianne Ferguson), her Mouth (Hannah Bourgeois), and her Hand (Kristen Das) in her desire to be whole. By breaking up Hildegard into different parts, McLean shows the ways that her broken spirit needs renewal. Along the way, this Hildegard Greek Chorus meets up with Von Sponheim’s Shadow (Way Wagoner) as the Shadow tries to seek reintegration into Von Sponheim.
This sounds all very high concept for a musical and In the Green certainly is not like the frothy entertainments of Cole Porter or the social commentary you find in Rodgers and Hammerstein.
This is a musical that is more avant garde in its leanings. The music itself even reflects this avant garde nature by using looping technology (generously underwritten by CCM supporters Brett Offenberger and Douglas Duckett). Various songs by the Hildegard Greek Chorus and Jutta Von Sponheim are looped to create a beat with which the performers sing along.
Director and Double Casting in In the Green
Director Rachel Stevens has assembled a remarkable cast of CCM students for this demanding work. Because this is a student production, all of the performers listed above are performing for the first weekend (October 10-12). An equally talented cast (Jayy Jones, Erin Morton, Monique Churchill, Peyton Kern, and Madison Osment) will perform for the second weekend (October 17-19).
Stevens finds ways for her actors to express their humanity in this musical, grounding the action in real-life emotional issues. This draws the audience more into the action and keeps the tension of the piece sharp.
All of the performers do outstanding work within this production. Chloe Lexotte’s performance as Jutta Von Sponheim is especially moving as she struggles with mentoring Hildegard and her own demons. The members of the Hildegard Greek Chorus work together so effortlessly to portray the medieval mystic and composer. Way Wagner’s appearance and songs as Von Sponheim’s Shadow are also compelling.
Design
Kudos to the CCM student Scenic Designer Anna Camerer who created a sparse, but compelling stage. The almost circular wreath that creates an archway for the actors to interact with is striking. It also suggests Hildegard’s need for wholeness.
Overall
This production is an excellent production of a flawed musical. There is something to be learned–for students and audience–even in a flawed musical. I feel McLean forgot to include one important member of Hildegard’s Greek Chorus, that of her heart. It is ultimately the heart which causes her to break her thirty year solitude and rejoin the rest of the religious community (finally becoming the abbess of her monastery). It is that missing heart that I would like to see more throughout the beginning of the musical.
For those of you who want something different than your everyday jukebox musicals and musicals based on popular 1980s films, then this is the musical for you. I would highly suggest reading the director’s notes in the digital program before the performance. They help set the scene for what happens with this musical.
Tickets to In the Green
CCM’s In the Green runs until October 19th, with performances Thursday through Saturday evenings, plus a Saturday matinee. Click here for tickets.
A few other things to keep in mind for those attending: Ticketing for this production is general admission, so come early to get a good seat. For those wanting to sit within the first two rows, there are also signs cautioning against brighter lighting and louder audio sitting within those rows.
Finally, there is also a content trigger warning for the production that is deals with “adult themes including death, miscarriage and recovery from sexual assault.”
