A New Look At St. Joan

One of the world’s heroic female figures is Joan of Arc, immortalized in books, films and plays. But a current incarnation, “Mother of the Maid” by Jane Anderson at Shakespeare & Company, is a flawed play receiving a flawed production.

We see Joan’s story from the perspective of her mother, Isabelle, but the play does not know what it wants to be.  It bounds from a character study to a family drama to a tragicomedy to a historical interpretation.  The first scene is a monologue by Saint Catherine, who is written as a wise-cracking, pseudo-psychologist who reappears many times to narrate events.  A convenient method to bridge time, she is intended to be the audience’s link to the 1400s. Anderson has her and other characters using contemporary expressions: “…putting me down;” “…red tape;” “…wonky.” Catherine says the actors are not going to use French accents; however, some use British accents, others American. The next scene, when Joan reveals to Isabelle that she is having holy visions, and the final moments of the play before she’s led to the stake are poignant.  The body of the work, however, is drawn out to the point of tedium.  

Part of the problem is the enormous number of thematic elements. Anderson touches upon unbridled faith, politics within and without the Church, familial relationships, martyrdom and chauvinism resulting in many redundant and awkwardly written speeches.

And performances are uneven. At times Tina Packer’s Isabelle  is mannered, bordering on fatuousness, but she becomes stronger as Joan’s fate confronts her. 

Matthew Penn’s direction is hampered by the script, though he has created very moving scenes. 

“Mother of the Maid” runs through Sept. 6.  For tickets, call 413-637-3353 or go to www.Shakespeare.org.

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