SAN DIEGO –Mark Dolson (Timothy Benson) is a seminarian ready to change the world, or at least the Catholic Church. He’d like to see women admitted to the priesthood. And he believes the church’s attitude opposed to homosexuality is outdated and archaic. Most of all, he believes that it is the job of the clergy to shake their parishioners from their materialism and complacency in order for them to truly follow the teachings of Jesus.
On the other hand, Father Tim Farley (Richard Rivera), to whom Dolson is assigned for out-of-class field work, is a pragmatist. He advises Dolson to cool his jets, to refrain from insulting his congregants, to instead be congenial, and make the parishioners like him. In other words, “Don’t kick ass,” the old priest advises. “That’s better than to kiss it,” retorts the seminarian.
Father Farley considers himself one of the more popular priests in the diocese, but is he really so pleased with himself? He is an alcoholic, constantly drinking wine that he keeps hidden behind a picture of Jesus. Although his superior, the monsignor, frequently calls to suggest social get togethers, Farley either avoids taking his call, or lies to the monsignor about why this or that date would be inconvenient. When Dolson challenges him about his dependence on alcohol, and his lying, roles start to reverse: the seminarian,unpolished though he may be; gradually becomes the teacher, and Father Farley, as a reluctant student, is reawakened to why he had a calling to the priesthood in the first place.
On the stage of the Point Loma Playhouse, the two actors have only two sets for the internet production, which will continue to be shown this Friday through Sunday. One is the pulpit, from which both men give contrasting sermons, and the other is Father Farley’s office, where their arguments are intense but often intellectually stimulating.
The play by Bill C. Davis will be 40 years old next year, but with the coronavirus pandemic forcing it to be filmed for Internet audiences, director Jerry Pilato was successful in keeping it going fast enough so that none in the cybernet audience would start coughing — which, according to Father Farley, is a clear warning that a sermon is boring parishioners.
Called a “dramedy” because it is a drama with comedic overtones, the Zoom production is hampered by the lack of a live audience. Gag lines which should get laughs don’t because there is no one there (except cameramen and other technicians) to hear them. So, good lines that might have a live audience, seem to fall flat At times, I thought I could see actor Richard Rivera waiting for the laughs that never came.
Nevertheless, this thoughtful play — which comes to a crisis when the monsignor learns that Dolson had experimented with bisexuality before deciding to become a priest — has plenty of material upon which clergy of any religion can cogitate. While watching it, I kept thinking of a recent column on San Diego Jewish World by Rabbi Dr. Bernhard H. Rosenberg in which as an older rabbi, he offered some suggestions to new rabbis.
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Donald H. Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com