HEAVEN AND HELLelujah: Harpist Deborah Henson-Conant Takes Us To God's Green Room And Back
Hopefully, if there's any justice left in the world, in May of this year while Reverend Jerry Falwell was waiting in Purgatory to hear whether or not he was going to heaven or hell, the entertainment wasn't anything as good as the new show by musician and playwright Deborah Henson-Conant.
"What The Hell Are You Doing In The Waiting Room For Heaven??" is the name of the current Henson-Conant offering, presenting at the new Central Square Theater in Cambridge. It's a lively musical; but don't let the humorous play on words in the title fool you: Henson-Conant explores some profound questions during this show.
The singer and harpist takes a very Unitarian Universalist view of the world. Everyone, she posits, has the spark of God within them. And as long as you broaden the definition of what it means to be successful, everyone has the potential to be a star.
In fact, despite her comparison of the audience at Wednesday's opening to a chorus of "scratchy, out of tune" mid-western church singers, everyone, she says, ought to be singing (and dancing, and making whoopy) despite age, aptitude, and station in life.
This is subversive stuff. Especially in a country where de facto segregation keeps us separated by race, class, and the ability to buy a 29 inch widescreen TV. Where disproportionally distributed educational and financial resources keep most people's expectations about how far they can go in life to the barest of minimums.
But let's back up a moment and describe the scene. Aubrey Giles, (Deborah Henson-Conant, wearing a frilly and white gossamer dress, cowboy boots painted gold, and silver and gold streamers in her long braided hair) is one of God's attendants, and her job is to prep the audience for their audition.
This isn't just any old audition; do well and the audience gets into heaven. Do well, and the ratings (a la "American Idol") will top the charts.
There's no sitting back in the waiting room for heaven. Audience members must sing, yell "hallelujah" quite a few times, and during the show's dramtic climax, dance on stage wearing goofy costumes. In an unplanned funny moment during Wednesday's premier, an older fellow who didn't quite get the audience participation concept, tried to leave the stage during a lighting change and was promptly "looked" back into place by Henson-Conant.
The point she's making is this: waiting for your talent (any talent) to be "discovered" is a long and arduous process that often ends in frustration. "Are you no good, if you're not the best?" she asks. Of course not; but in our hyper competitive world, where everything is judged, it seems, through a contest or a "reality show," many Americans believe success in life must come in an all or nothing package.
In one of my favorite moments in the show, Henson-Conant relates a story told to her on a plane by the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. I won't give it all away here. Suffice it to say that the moral of the story involves enlightenment of a surprising nature.
Do I need to comment on her playing? She manipulates the lightweight carbon fiber electric harp as though it's an extension of her body. Using an electronic loop generator to great effect she sounds like an orchestra when she plays. And the harp has cool blue and white flames painted on it!
The main performance space at the Central Square Theater seats about 200 people. At a reception following the performance, Bruce Sylvester, host of WMBR's "Troubador" show, commented that the acoustics in the theater were superlative. Debra Wise, Underground Railway Theater Artistic Director and a Central Square Theater co-partner, confirmed that sound quality in the theater was a top priority for the designers.
One small constructive criticism: the theater needs padded chairs. Wise indicated a desire but not the financial means to purchase more comfortable seating for the bleacher style set-up. Perhaps they'll be able to afford better seating in the near future.
Deborah Henson-Conant's "What The Hell Are You Doing In The Waiting Room For Heaven??" runs from August 13th through the 23rd; possibly longer.
And please listen to the radio interview with Deborah Henson-Conant and Debra Wise conducted by Marc Stern and Dave Goodman of "RADIO with a VIEW." (link above)
The harpist's website: http://www.hipharp.com
The Central Square Theater: http://www.centralsquaretheater.com
