Berkshire on Stage

Written by Scott Carter, the full name of this play is The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord.  These three titans find themselves locked in a room somewhere in the Hereafter. The room is furnished with three chairs, a table that holds The Bible, and writing supplies.  In a nice moment, Jefferson looks for a quill and ink bottle and is delighted by a pen. They are confused about the nature of this locked room and the reason for their being there. After all, they died in 1826, 1870 and 1910, respectively. 

As they bicker and posture trying to solve the dilemma, each man’s personality and approach to life is revealed in witty intellectual patter in this production at Catskill’s Bridge Street Theatre.  They finally discover that all three during their lives had created a personal version of The Bible befitting their respective philosophies.

Jefferson’s approach is intellectual, Dickens’ deeply religious, Tolstoy’s iconoclastic.    Antagonism toward each other is mirrored in their interpretation of the New Testament and to religion itself.  Taunting and arguing they deduce that the only way to leave the room is to create a common interpretation of the Gospel.   Each attempts to uphold his version of The Gospel, sometimes violently, which exacerbates their animosity.  Through a series of disputations and sarcastic rejoinders beginning with the definition of “Logos” in translation,“The Word”, each man claims his own vision as superior-

     To Jefferson God is reason, to Tolstoy He is spirit  while to Dickens “The Word ” is indeed the last word.  This could  be a long night as they battle over just the first sentence of a very large tome. Is that why they are trapped in this room?

       Using what the public knows of the three men, the actors remain true to the personalities of their respective characters.  Jefferson (Brian Linden) is stoic and reserved.  He states, “Not one of us is perfect,” a fitting description for each of them, as well as all humanity.  Dickens’ (Jason Guy) entrance is a comic pratfall suggestive of his egotistical rambunctiousness.  The playwright gives him opportunities to use lines from his novels i.e. “This is the worst of times,” from A Tale of Two Cities. while Tolstoy (Zach Curtis) is fiery and irascible as when he tells his cohorts, “If you want to annoy Christians tell them what Christ said.” 

     Ultimately they sit down and write together.  The last scene is powerful and personal for each of them as they sit staring into an imagined  mirror, forced to reveal their flaws and accept their hypocrisies.  The three maintain these attitudes until that last scene when they must face who and what they are and have been.

Though a little long and in need of judicious editing, the ninety-minute play soars with emotional confrontations, intellectual challenges and introspection often underscored by comedic interactions. The direction by Carmen Borgia, who also designed the set, is sharp and tight. Even in the quiet moments the emotions flood off the stage.  The stage pictures are balanced and underline the hostility of the characters. The speeches in that last scene are beautifully phrased and insightful.  His set does not have a specific identity which  allows Eric Leary’s lighting to underline the timbre of the various scenes.  Above the stage a series of lit captions, some humorous,  introduce each scene. Costume design by Michelle Rogers  is minimally perfect to suggest each of the characters’ time period and identity.

Once again, Bridge Street Theatre offers a compelling and beautifully staged production.

The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens, and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord; by Scott Carter; Director: Carmen Borgia; Cast:  Brian Linden (Thomas Jefferson) Jason Guy (charles Dickens) Zach Curtis (Count Leo Tolstoy); Lighting Design: Eric Leary; Scenic Design: Carmen Borgia; Costume Design: Michelle Rogers; Production Stage Manager: Hannarose Manning; Running time: 90 minutes, no intermission; 11/14-11/24/2024: contact@BridgeSt.org; Box office 518-943-3818