There are plays with themes of religion in them, and then there are plays that are just plain religious. A new work, "The World of Jackie Claxton," presented by The Actors’ Group, is proudly, loudly and blatantly a religious play. It’s no coincidence the main character’s initials are J.C.
Nothing less than the world is at stake as a battle between heaven and hell rages on Earth among puny mortals. Inducers are agents of Lucifer who are drawn to those who’ve been addicted to drugs, sexually abused or otherwise traumatized by an event either physical or emotional. Inciters are on the side of angels; they are there to protect those poor souls hunted by Satan’s crew.
‘THE WORLD OF JACKIE CLAXTON’
» Where: The Actors’ Group, 650 Iwilei Road
» When: 8 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
» Cost: $10
» Info: taghawaii.net Opens in a new tab or 722-6941
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The story centers on Jackie Claxton, an Inciter tasked with saving the soul of a young man with a troubled past who is being plied with drugs by a trio of Inducers to go to the dark side. (Jackie has a pair of Inciters on her team as well, so the odds are relatively even.) In a parallel story, Jackie is in therapy, talking to her psychiatrist about her supernatural experiences. Of course, her shrink wants to put her on a boatload of medication immediately; Jackie is probably suffering from schizophrenia brought on by the mysterious disappearance of her father sixth months prior.
Written and directed by Eric Nemoto from a concept by Jeff Katts, the over-the-top plot requires the acting to follow a certain path: The good girls are screaming for their lives, and the bad girls are cackling with glee. Even more of a hoot is the fact that these girls have superpowers such as telekinesis and pyrokinesis. When they battle, lights zap through the darkness, and bodies go tumbling all over the wooden stage.
It is a large cast for a two-act play (almost 20 performers), but Brittney Kawahara leads the motley crew as the title character, and in quieter scenes with her psychiatrist, she brings a touching, calming center to the madness. Bronsy Tansley seems to have a wicked good time as a controlling shrink and — no, that would be a spoiler. Dane Kanehira brings a certain pathos as the drug-addicted soul the angels and demons are battling over.
At one point we learn that time doesn’t exist for these characters, but for the audience it surely does, and this unruly production runs a tad long. There may be universal questions the play asks, such as why people react differently to the events that change their lives, and there is also a strong undercurrent on matters of addiction and recovery — the Inciters feel almost like support-group "sponsors" to the addicted — but the play is undoubtedly built as a religious vehicle. Moments in the story feel like parables one would find in a church sermon.
"The World of Jackie Claxton" is not for everybody, but if the power of Christ compels you, catch this week’s final three performances.
