Bruce Alvin attempts to entice his class room full of students at Serra High School.
Father Joe Bradley has turned his autobiography, “The Four Gifts,” into a play of the same name being staged by Hillbarn Theatre & Conservatory.
With editing by Antonia Ehlers and script supervision by Dan Demers, former Hillbarn artistic director, the play concerns a man who overcame a crisis of faith, substance abuse and major heart issues to become a Catholic priest serving at Serra High School and St. Gregory’s Catholic Church in San Mateo.
Joe had wanted to become a priest from the time he was a teenager in the early ’70s, but his father encouraged him to experience the real world to be sure the priesthood was for him.
He got a ground crew job at San Francisco International Airport, where he began indulging in alcohol and drugs, especially after his father’s death.
Eventually he did become a priest, but he developed heart trouble and had to have a pacemaker and defibrillator implanted at UCSF. (He could have gone to Stanford Medical Center, but refused because he was still angry at the way the Stanford band had made fun of Notre Dame during halftime of a football game.)
When his defibrillator went haywire, subjecting him to great pain, he wound up getting a successful heart transplant. In all, he spent a year in the hospital.
The medical scenes don’t place doctors in a very good light. Yes, they’re knowledgeable and effective, but the bedside manner of most of them leaves something to be desired.
For example, the doctor played by Amanda Farbstein is brusque and cold, not giving Joe much chance to respond or showing concern for him as a person.
His story is related by a cast of four women and six men who play multiple roles, including Joe. Each time another actor takes over the role, he or she receives a necklace with a cross from the previous Joe.
This gambit is fairly easy to follow but seems unnecessary. The story itself is interesting and would be better served if each character were played by the same person.
Although the play doesn’t specifically enumerate the four gifts, Good Reads, an online site, lists them as faith, sobriety, a new heart and a fulfilling ministry.
Directed by Cara Phipps, the cast is quite good in varied roles. Among the standouts is Farbstein. Besides a doctor, she’s one of the Joes and a co-worker at the airport. Also noteworthy is Cody Wittlinger, who plays the first young Joe.
Patrick W. Lord has designed the simple set and the projections shown on three transparent panels upstage.
Costumes are by Pam Lampkin with lighting by Ron Ho. James Goode’s sound design features musical snatches from the Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, James Taylor and others from the ’70s.
Running about 90 minutes without intermission, “The Four Gifts” will continue through Aug. 21 at Hillbarn Theatre, 1285 E. Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City.
For tickets and information call (650) 349-6411 or visit www.hillbarntheatre.org.
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(1) comment
i saw the play and came away trying to recall the gifts. i thought they were wisdom, piety and fear of the lord, at least the first three. online search fails to show agreement. Thought the play was well done. so was this review. Would like to add, however, that there was a local angle to this: the play starts with Father Kelly. Didn't he leave the priesthood, from his book i'd say he left the church, and found Samaritan House?
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