Acacia Theatre Company
Living Psalm

	LIVING PSALMS is an interesting theater piece with a talented ensemble of singers 
and actors. However, as is frequently the case with new theatrical works, LIVING PSALMS 
needs seasoning. One would expect the psalms to stand by themselves since these powerful and 
prayerful songs have survived many generations and many translations. Certainly the sundry 
settings of the psalms in this work are captivating. However, I am not convinced that at the 
end of a two hour production the audience was anxious to enjoy four versions of psalm 23.
	The Child of God motif which is used as the scaffold for LIVING PSALMS is rather generic 
and does not always serve to framework the psalms in a meaningful and effective manner. 
This critic would have preferred a frame that suggested a more scripture based understanding 
of the psalms rather than the life cycle of an every person character. I found the device 
naïve and slightly childish. Needless to say, one's reactions to the psalms are very 
personal and inescapably unique.
	The ensemble work was very effective and frequently touching as well as spirited. Some of 
the voices while very musical were a trifle weak for the performing space. It might have been 
useful to mike these voices so that we could hear them all without periodic strain. This would 
also keep Jodi Vasser's spirited piano accompaniment from dominating some of the psalm. In 
most of the numbers, the piano was most graciously supportive of the performers. Indeed, from 
the performers perspective, I assume it was supportive in every instance.
	In the interest of critical detachment (a myth all critics are firmly attached to), 
I must note that Elizabeth Doll who wrote the settings for three of the psalms and is a member 
of the ensemble is my daughter). I was obviously familiar with her psalm settings and found 
them as impressive as did the rest of the audience. At intervals, I found her acting 
performance a tad more energetic than was warranted  by the material. Punching thin material 
doesn't make it more robust.
	With roughly fifty psalms included in this production, I confess to getting slightly 
confused as to which members of the ensemble performed what. I do remember Jessica Katorski's 
singing of Palm 23 as wonderfully simple, direct, and unaffected. Yvonne Sonsthagen has a 
considerable presence in a very slight but attractive form. She has a lively presence that 
makes a considerable contribution to the ensemble. Carol J. Larsen is an experienced performer 
who helps to anchor the ensemble She did an impressive job of recovering miraculously from a 
mortal illness.  Colette MacDonald could serve as a model for ensemble performers. When she 
came front and center,  she took control of the stage and the audience.  But when she was 
out of the spotlight, she practically disappeared unless required to make a less spectacular 
contribution. Last, but by no means least, Stephanie Smith is a radiant performer whose smile 
has an almost spiritual ambiance. 
	I would quibble with elements of the frame especially the use of game show parodies but I 
suspect that may be a generational thing. Clearly my reaction to LIVING PSALMS is mixed. In 
general, Janet Bouman Peterson staged the work with a good sense of design and with enough 
variety to keep the audience amused. I found the set design by Alan Williams adequate to the 
task but thought the execution of that design to be the poorest work that I have seen in 
Acacia's recent history. Similarly, I cannot fathom what Jodi William's contribution to the 
costume design might have been. The clothes worn by the ensemble were adequate but showed no 
clear sense of ensemble design. Neil Kristian Scharnick is to be credited with managing the 
stage effectively. Randy M. Peterson, as usual, got the most out of Acacia's electrical 
hardware. For all its faults, LIVING PSALMS is a spirited production which is worth catching, 
especially during the summer theatrical hiatus.  It is a rough cut gem which could be greatly 
enhanced by further polishing.

DMD