You can imagine a pitch meeting along these lines: “I’ve written a play that depicts the difference between being religious and acting godly.  Oh, and the lead roles are 13 and 14 year old boys.”  Fortunately for the prospective audience for The Saviors, the pitcher in question was Bubba Weiler who cemented his reputation as a playwright well worth backing with his acclaimed Well, I’ll Let You Go.  Fortunately for Weiler and his go-to director Jack Serio, the producer who picked up the challenge was the Atlantic Theater Company.  Their main-stage, The Linda Gross, is located in a converted church.  To paraphrase a line from The Saviors script, if that isn’t the hand of god, what is it?

A complaint I’ve sometimes made about The Linda Gross is that the performance space is often blocked to be wide and shallow.  This set by David Zinn is gorgeously expansive, with tall delicate stained glass windows and light colored steps leading up to humble statuary and a candle covered altar.  Director Serio also makes use of the aisles as an extension of the upfront interior (necessitating a strict no-late-seating; no-reentry policy).  Sound by Leah Gelpe that accompanies the cast member entrances lets us experience the chilly winter world just outside the heavy church doors.  Stacey Derosier’s shadowy lighting design of the apse nearly qualifies as a fifth character.

Into this subdued scene of reverence tumble altar boys Michael and Paul.  The young teens are obviously close and have turned each assigned task into a lighthearted contest.  The differences between the two slowly unfold.  Michael has embraced the Catholic teachings with manic enthusiasm.  They give structure to a life that is otherwise filled with anxiety-inducing choices.  Paul is more questioning of the strict prescribed path that seems to lie ahead.  Two adults with disparate views on Christian faith become entwined in the boys’ bond.  Judy, a congregant whom Michael asks to be his sponsor, is so devoted to the parish that Michael has come to regard her as a Mary figure. Concurrently, Paul befriends Julian, a homeless man with an unclear connection to the community who comes into the church seeking refuge and comfort.  

Much of the play consists of pairs in hypnotic conversation.  That Weiler began working on the script when he was not much older than the current stars is a factor in making the dialogue so genuine.  There is elegant world-building within the exchanges, with an underlying tension that rivals many psychological thrillers.  

It is nearly impossible not to feel protective of both Ivan Howe’s exuberant Michael or Julius Rinzel’s probing Paul.  Both actors are heartbreakingly brilliant (and neither has an understudy.)  Making his stage debut is an impassioned Stanley Simons as the older but equally vulnerable Julian.  Completing the first-rate company is Crystal Finn who expertly traverses Judy’s rough terrain.

The Saviors will undoubtedly have a different impact on practicing and lapsed Catholics than it did on me, but it doesn’t take a background in religious doctrine to feel its sting.  This World Premiere has been extended through August 15 at The Atlantic’s Linda Gross Theater, 336 West 20th Street.  Running time is a tight 90 minutes without intermission.  Tickets start at $56.50 for standing room and top out at $121 for premium seating at select performances.  To purchase, visit https://atlantictheater.org/production/the-saviors/

Tagged: Atlantic Theater Company, Bubba Weiler, Cathy Hammer, Crystal Finn, David Zinn, Ivan Howe, Jack Serio, Julius Rinzel, Leah Gelpe, Stacey Derosier, Stanley Simons, The Linda Gross Theater