Higher Ground

PSC overcomes a language barrier

By Katherine Joyce

Hallowed Ground runs through Feb. 17 at Portland Stage Company. Call (207) 774-0465.

TOUCHING: Chanda Harman and Jeff Patterson in Hallowed Ground.

After two years of work and evolution, Hallowed Ground has returned to Portland Stage Company. First read aloud during PSC’s Little Festival of the Unexpected in 2000, the play has gone on to win playwright (and Bowdoin graduate) Laura Harrington the 2001 Clauder Competition for New England Playwrights, developing nicely from a workshop piece to a mainstage production.

The story takes place in the forests of Georgia during Sherman’s Civil War March to the Sea. Atlanta has already been burned, and it is becoming more and more clear that the Union Army is going to win the war. Lizzie (played by Jennifer Woodward) is a young woman who has lost her entire family to the war — the Union Army ransacks her home as she escapes into the woods. On her way off the property, Lizzie encounters Micah (Chanda Hartman), one of the family’s slaves, clutching a dead baby to her bosom. The baby has died of starvation because her mother could find nothing to eat. Together they bury the child and head off into the woods.

Tragically, the forest is full of people, mainly soldiers from both sides, many of whom are dead or dying. Lizzie’s emotions soon get the better of her, and she decides to go out on her own. Having been abandoned by Lizzie, Micah meets and helps Jack Walker (played by Jeff Patterson), a gravely injured Union soldier, while Lizzie encounters Jubal Haley (Matthew Maher), an awkward and tender Confederate soldier who has deserted to find the man who saved his life in battle.

Artistic director Anita Stewart has created a wonderful and interesting set, worthy of the play’s textured themes. The multi-leveled floor is covered in rope and netting to give the impression of a forest floor. There are trees, some of which fly in from the rafters during scene changes. She even created a place on the floor where the dirt is deep enough to dig a shallow grave for Micah’s baby. Upstage, there is a river into which Micah and Lizzie both wade before they separate — there are even basins of water placed out of sight so that they can splash in the river water.

While scenes play themselves out in one area of the stage, the rest of the set is obscured in darkness. This allows scene changes to happen quickly, as the actors are able to place themselves without disturbing or distracting the audience. This is good, as the text of the play can be mesmerizing.

The language is poetic, describing emotional and experiential moments of the four characters. Although beautiful to listen to, it creates a trap for this cast which is difficult to escape from. The actors are very aware of the beauty of the words they speak, and they dwell on them. Unfortunately, this preoccupation makes it difficult for the audience to follow the arcs of the story. The slow pace and contemplative tone hinder the actors from working up into emotional peaks and moments of violent reaction. As a result, these moments become jarring and unsupported by the preceding action.

For playwright Harrington, the script began with the voice of Micah. It is, then, perhaps no coincidence that Micah’s voice and presence is the strongest and most stable of the characters. Hartman’s performance is outstanding. She is able to master the language, and deliver it with great nuance and verve. Her stage presence is riveting, and her ability to express inner conflict without appearing weak or confused is evidence that the script can be quite interesting, and has a wonderful sense of humor.

Woodward’s performance is less grounded. Though partly explained by her formerly cushy role in society, her grief over the loss of her family and land reads as impetuous. She has many extremely emotional moments that seem empty of meaning and passion. Her performance adds to the feeling that the words themselves are more important than the story being told, and saps the emotional integrity of the play.

Woodward spends much of the time opposite Matthew Maher. He starts off by falling into the language trap, but over the course of the play becomes more comfortable. Although his delivery remains somewhat slow and philosophic throughout, his commitment to telling the story grows as his character develops. He and Woodward share their best scene together when Jubal gets his first kiss. Both Lizzie and Jubal become endearing and human as the scene unfolds, and both display their senses of humor.

Patterson plays Walker with great humanity. He is severely injured for the entirety of the play, and his desperation turns to gentleness as Micah tends to his wounds. Their relationship develops in touching ways, and the complexity of their friendship is well portrayed.

For, in the end, the play is a story of friendship and growth, of grief and loss, and of the tenuous moments between life and death, between peace and war. All four characters have unique experiences which allow them to open their hearts in unexpected ways. If the performance were focused more on telling the story, the strength of the play would shine through more effectively. Each and every actor on the stage is of the caliber to perform this play with great passion and integrity.

Katherine Joyce can be reached at ingliskat@aol.com