Hollywood Fringe Festival Theatre Review: John 10:10

John 10:10

Written and Directed by Michael Etzrodt

35 minutes; $15

Synopsis: A deeply religious father and son try to live a life of pious purity, which they try to share with everyone they encounter.

Initial Reaction: This is my childhood gone horribly wrong.

Review: The show opens with a father and son speaking to an elderly woman about donating money to save the souls of others.  The men speak with language so flowery, they can only be con artists.  (One memorable line has the father rebuking a woman because he can smell “the yeasty odor of [Satan’s] black seed that you allowed in your basket.”)  The verbal acrobatics are so extravagant, the audience can’t help but enjoy watching this elderly woman get swindled, for she stood no chance against such conviction, such righteousness.

The next scene finds the father and son back at their house, alone, where the flowery language doesn't stop.  They claim that suffering is righteous and personal purity is achievable so often, the audience comes to suspect their conviction is sincere.  John 10:10 toys with this doubt for most of the play.  Are these men con artists?  Or have they been conned themselves?  When does religious zealotry pass into mental illness?  When is it just an impeccable performance to make a few bucks from the unsuspecting?

While I won’t give away the ending, the play makes it clear that such complete devotion to a rigid philosophy is unsustainable.  The father and son work so hard to save others' souls, because deep down they know they cannot save their own.   No matter how much money it costs those they unknowingly deceive, the price for the father and son is much, much greater.

Best line: “I love cheap whiskey.  First there is sin.” The father takes a shot of whiskey.  “Then penance.”  He grimaces at the foul taste.  “Then absolution.”  He smiles as the alcohol starts to kick in.

Bottom Line: Criticism of fanatical Christianity in theatre and movies has been done so many times before, it’s hard for a piece to find something new to say.  John 10:10 gets points for being more than just a revenge piece on religion.  It also introduces some interesting ideas, but ultimately remains frustratingly unclear on what it's trying to say.  Fringe Festers might also be turned off by the $15 price for a 35 minute play, preferring bigger (or longer) bang for their buck.   A nice performance by Bryce McBratnie playing the tormented, struggling son cannot save the show from seeming muddled.  Not a bad play, certainly, and, potentially, a great one; but it’s still a few rewrites away from that.

You can catch John 10:10 at the Complex Theatre:
June 10^th 5:15 PM; June 15^th 10:15 PM; June 16^th 10:15 PM; June 19^th 7:15 PM; June 22^nd 7:30 PM; June 23^rd 7:30 PM.  Find tickets here. 

Dan Johnson is a freelance writer in Los Angeles helping cover the 2012 Hollywood Fringe Festival for Cinesnatch.