by Simon Brighenti, Special to Berkshire on Stage
The best art is both inspirational and aspirational. It moves us to believe we are capable of accomplishing good things and gets us thinking that there may be a world that transcends the ordinary and brings a certain dignity to humanity that is so often lacking.
Such is the case with the winter presentation at Playhouse on Park. “All Is Calm” tells the story of an actual incident that occurred one Christmas in the early days of World War I. For those not familiar, German troops on one side and English, Irish and Scottish troops on the other were dug into trenches in the Belgian plain with a literal No Man’s Land between them. As Christmas 1914 approaches, the men on each side make tentative efforts toward a cessation of hostilities in the spirt of the holiday, which efforts eventually blossom into a certain camaraderie and sharing of stories, drink, and sport.
The plot unfolds in a tidy 70-minute span with no intermission virtually entirely in a cappella song and, as explained at the outset, in the actual words of those soldiers and sailors involved, collected from letters and diaries. The signatures of the military men are projected on the proscenium arch in what appears to be the handwriting of the original individuals as their thoughts and insights are recited. It is a masterclass of presenting historic facts in a compelling and moving manner.
The cast of a dozen or so young men is superb, the accents realistic and the singing of tunes both familiar and perhaps more obscure in both English and German is terrific. It is difficult to highlight a superlative performance when each member of the mostly classically trained troupe is flawless and projects the amount of passion, wistfulness and hope appropriate for the context.
However, both Nicdaniel Charles and Luke Scott master the lower registers beautifully and Omar Sandakly brings an energy along with his pitch perfect tenor voice, and enthusiastic rhythmic beating on a makeshift drum at one point, as he inhabits a few different characters.
If there is a performance that could be considered a showstopper, it would have to be that of Spencer Hamlin. With a voice that has been described by Opera News as “scintillatingly smooth” and possessing a “dazzling Italianate” quality, he brings the house down from the moment he struts onstage.
Director Sasha Bratt and Music Director Benjamin Rauch explain in their introductory remarks that “All Is Calm” has been a favorite of theirs for years. In fact, they had planned to present at the Playhouse on Park a few years ago but their hopes were dashed with the onset of COVID. Unperturbed they managed to put together and present a “remote” version in 2020 which was met with critical acclaim.
Their passion for and respect of this material is evident in the way they unite disparate voices and events into an outstanding whole. The lighting and set design enhance the “you were there” feeling as the story unfolds virtually in real time.
For audiences in love with history, high quality theatre and even opera this is the play to see.
“All Is Calm” by Peter Rothstein, Erik Lichte and Timothy Takach, directed by Sasha Bratt, Music Director Benjamin Rauch, runs at Playhouse on Park, 244 Park Road, West Hartford, CT, December 5-21, 2025. CAST: Bruce Barger, Nicdaniels Charles, Charles Eaton, Kenneth Galm, Jeremy Luis Lopez, Spencer Hamlin, Alex Hunt, Ryan Phelps, Omar Sandakly, Luke Scott, Nikos Touros, Jermaine Otis Woodard Jr.