The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens & Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord (Lantern Theater Company, Philadelphia) by Scott Carter

A former President and two acclaimed authors; one of whom came from nothing and the other who is a Russian Count meet in an anteroom to Heaven/Hell………It could very well be the set-up for the punch line of a great joke, but is instead the premise of Scott Carter’s absolutely terrific show.

The first arrival in this room is Thomas Jefferson (played with courtly erudition by Gregory Isaac).  While pondering his arrival in this room and wondering at his inability to open the door he is shortly joined by Charles Dickens (a beautifully blustery Brian McCann) and Count Leo Tolstoy (a curt and physically powerful Andrew Criss).  All three men are initially gob-smacked by their appearance in this room and by their actual appearance; as all, though dead, are as they were in the prime of their lives.

After plenty of initial verbal to-ing and fro-ing the three decide that they are there because they have all written their own versions of the Gospel and must come to a conclusion as to which of them had it right.  The dense verbiage that ensues, as each man makes the case for his Gospel, is gorgeous.  It is, by turns, humorous, heartfelt, hubristic and horrible. 

When each man has made his case and they are no closer to answers or escape there is nothing left but for each to break down the walls of the image they have constructed to project to the world.  It is only when each man turns to that most difficult of ‘h’ words, honesty, that they are released; both metaphorically and in actuality.

It is true, even for those held up as shining examples of virtue, truth and talent that, in the end, only the truth will set you free.  Go see ‘The Gospel’ and feel the rapture.