God's Littlest Hostage: An Essay/Review
In Mixed Company's "Keely & Du" at the Seventh Street Theatre
**** (out of *****)
Mark S.P. Turvin

	It is very hard to write a conventional review about a play 
with a subject and emotional intensity as unconventional as In 
Mixed Company's production of "Keely & Du." My emotional and 
political involvement with the subject, abortion, makes this one 
of the most difficult reviews to write; yet, this powerful 
production, directed by Kevin Kerrigan, deserves a review, no 
matter how close to an essay it might become. My apologies.
	Of all the "hot-topic" and politically sensitive debates 
raging for the last few decades, none is as emotionally packed, or 
as difficult to sway opinions on as abortion. I, myself, have been 
very active campaigning for a woman's right to choose, yet 
whenever a discussion flares with someone pro-life, their 
sentiments tend to run just as deeply and fanatically as mine, and 
by the end of such arguments, as they inevitably lead to, neither 
position is ever changed. 
	With my position firmly stated, let me explain that "Keely & 
Du", written by Jane Martin (possibly a pseudonym), takes such 
fevered, fruitless arguments one better: the play is set in the 
basement of an unmarked house which a militant "right-to-life" 
group has turned into a holding cell for a young pregnant woman, 
carrying the child resulting from a rape, forcing her from the 
planned abortion of that foetus/child. There, under the matronly 
protection of an elderly black woman, and the watchful eye of a 
zealot/pastor, Keely must carry her baby to term. The story 
becomes not just about this uncomfortably realistic situation, but 
about the bond that develops between prisoner and matron, and 
eventually about the manipulations by this group in an attempt to 
set things right in the Lord's eyes. 
	At the center of this production are several solid 
performances, especially by Shana Bell as the imprisoned Keely, 
Bruce Laks as the fanatically religious and warpedly-well-meaning 
Walter, and Richard Trujillo in his tiny but crucial role as 
Keely's ex-husband Cole, the man who raped Keely in the first 
place. Well-played, though woefully miscast in a role that 
required an actress twice her age, Ellen Benton is also solid as 
the grandmotherly Du, who comes to question her choice between the 
laws of God and the extremity of her actions.
	Mostly through a fault of the writing, and somewhat of the 
two main actresses, the first act of this show drags emotionally. 
Ms. Benton holds back in her role, leaving Ms. Bell to scream and 
contort through the first tantrums of her imprisonment. The many 
short, staccato scenes used to set up the situation do not allow 
much emotional involvement for the audience, taking the time 
instead to establish every bit of the situation and the characters 
within. While it is at some points tedious, there is ultimately a 
very good reason for such specific detailing. 
	There are very rare moments when a show snaps into place. All 
too many solid shows miss this moment for whatever reason. There 
are magical instances, though, when everything comes together in a 
space of time that seems to lend itself only to pitiful cliches--a 
shining, a luminescence, a moment that literally leaves you 
breathless and at the edge of your seat. It's unfortunate that 
such cliches cannot truly express the ten minutes in the middle of 
the second act of this show. There's just this: the tension that I 
felt emanating from the stage and that drew me in--the dialogue, 
the characters, the relationships, the emotional height of the 
situation, even the silences that hovered for momentary eons, 
wound me up and involved me in a way that only two other shows did 
this season. I can't say more. It's a feeling that one can only 
experience to understand.
	Unfortunately for the four actors who created that magical 
moment for the audience, the script once again winds down and 
nearly betrays that feeling. In the author's attempt to give 
political and emotional balance to the play, the show goes on 
another ten minutes and speaks what should no longer be spoken. 
Despite such authorial betrayal, the magic of that scene lingers 
even to this writing, making this one of the best plays performed 
in Phoenix this season. It's unfortunate that the charisma of the 
middle of the second act could not have been expanded to encompass 
the entire evening; though considering how emotionally riveting 
and wringing that scene is, perhaps it is for the best that it 
only lasted ten minutes.
	Despite the plays obvious pro-choice bent, by the end of the 
evening, nobody's opinions may have been swayed, and the valid 
arguments on both sides of the issues remain, but the basic 
messages about womanhood and humanity below the surface of these 
arguments are reaffirmed.
	There may be many people who may completely disagree with my 
feelings of this production. Many may wish not to be so deeply 
probed, and so emotionally speared. If such an evening doesn't 
sound to your tastes, you may want to skip this production 
entirely. If, though, you believe that good theatre takes risks, 
explores uncomfortable topics, and pierces you to the very core of 
your being, then don't miss this play.
	In Mixed Company and Artistic Director Kevin Kerrigan have 
once again taken risks, and have once again succeeded. We are 
lucky to have such theatrical daredevils plying their trade in 
Phoenix. 

Production Details:
"Keely & Du" by Jane Martin
In Mixed Company-Seventh Street Theatre, Phoenix
834-3032
April 25-May 11, 1995

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