Church rifts quell clergy in ‘Demon’ at Doolittle

Church rifts quell clergy in ‘Demon’ at Doolittle

By Jennifer Richmond

Daily Bruin Staff

Different views often cause upheaval and tension. But when there
is a serious difference of opinion among members of the church’s
hierarchy, a type of genocide occurs within its walls.

In the Royal National Theatre Company’s award-winning production
of David Hare’s "Racing Demon," seasoned priests get pushed out
through a variety of hurtful circumstances that surprise audience
members and pull them into the shocking plot of new ideas
overtaking old theories.

The Rev. Lionel Espy (Oliver Ford Davies) has been with the
church for well over 20 years and in that time his views about
Christ have changed. While he still believes in the Lord and
worships him daily, Lionel doesn’t feel Christ is the answer for
everyone. He trusts that some people just need the caring ear of a
priest without being preached at.

His friends, the Rev. Donald "Streaky" Bacon (Adrian
Scarborough) and the Rev. Harry Henderson (Michael Bryant), know
he’s not as theological as the church desires, but they cherish his
friendship, his views and his unquestionable love for the
church.

So, when the bright-eyed Rev. Tony Ferris (Adam Kotz) enters the
scene, convinced that Lionel’s ideas are hampering church
attendance, sides are taken and the witch hunt begins.

Davies’ Lionel is caring and gentle. His overflowing love for
the church creates a bond with the audience. It sees a man
dedicated to his work. His interest in helping people creates the
same caring bond with the audience that his character creates with
Harry and Streaky. It’s a feeling of friendship and understanding
that has further impact later when Lionel loses everything.

This gentle caring is white compared to the black darkness that
envelops Kotz’s Tony. He’s so caught up in educating the Christian
people and enlightening them about the teachings of Jesus Christ
that Tony fails to see their real problems.

When Stella Marr (Joy Richardson) says flat-out that she doesn’t
need Tony or his help with her abusive marriage, he’s convinced
she’s just scared and that with the teachings of God everything
will be perfect again. He can’t see that prayer isn’t what she
wants. All she wants is someone to talk to when she’s lost. Someone
to believe in her and pray for her. Someone to tell her that even
after everything, God still loves her. Tony doesn’t give that
assurance. Lionel does.

Obsessed to the point of evangelical, Kotz’s Tony is so caught
up in Jesus’ message he can’t see what’s really important ­
life. As long as Tony can get his word out to the community that’s
all that matters; who it hurts in the process is of little concern.
Although convincing in his portrayal, the audience finds itself
slowly hating Tony because of his hurtful actions toward a man
who’s out to hurt no one.

As hard as Tony tries to get Lionel dismissed, he too keeps
hitting walls. Streaky and Harry value Lionel’s views and his
caring for the community. Both stand behind him 100 percent. But,
as with all things, when push comes to shove they really have no
pull. Harry is in fact forced to leave the church.

When Lionel rushes in happily spouting that he did just as Harry
suggested, he receives a half-hearted congrats and the terrible
news that "Harry’s leaving." While Harry packs Lionel realizes he
has no chance and nowhere left to turn. His best friend has been
forced out, too. Both he and the audience know this is the
beginning of the end. His outpouring of emotion as Harry says his
goodbyes pulls at the audience’s heartstrings. But the final blow
comes moments later.

A shaken Lionel returns to his forgotten wife with a gift. Her
rejection of both his loving attention coming "too late" and the
gift left untouched on his desk creates an overflow of sympathy for
a man abandoned in a time of desperate need.

Davies’ Lionel becomes a broken man with nowhere left to turn
but his God; and even there, no loving response comes. Within the
closing lines the audience witnesses a man torn between his
feelings of the "right way" to preach and what he believes is right
for him and his community.

Because his concern for others is concentrated strictly on
helping, Lionel has no way to help himself. Confident in both
promises and his colleagues, Lionel is blind-sided by the
aggression that hits him head on. He and the audience are caught in
a fight as old as time. And with that fight comes hate for the
enemy. Tony’s enemy is Lionel. Lionel’s enemy is not face-specific.
The two are butting heads and taking sides, fighting a war with no
winners and forcing the audience to decide who or what they
believe. As Stella asks God at one point, "How can you fight
without hate?" There is no answer.

STAGE: "Racing Demon." Written by David Hare. Directed by
Richard Eyre. Starring: Oliver Ford Davies, Adam Kotz, Adrian
Scarborough, Michael Bryant. Running through Oct. 23 at the UCLA
James A. Doolittle Theatre. Performs Tuesday through Saturday at 8
p.m., Sundays at 7 p.m., with matinees Saturday and Sunday at 2
p.m. TIX: $15-50. For info. call: (213) 365-3500.

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