If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to be a part of a Southern town with reverence for a certain mysterious ritual, then look no further than New Generation Theatrical’s production of American Gothic: The Harvest Ritual. Located in the oddly familiar but eerie Fashion Square Mall, American Gothic invites the audience to participate as village townsfolk and learn a non-typical way of how to get through hardship.
Written by Michael Knight and directed by Alexander Mrazek, American Gothic is set during the Great Depression, during which the town is seeking a miracle to get through this harvest. A miracle that seemingly only the ominous Rev. Amos Thorne (Christopher Pruitt) can call upon. It takes a while for him to arrive however, so in the meantime, we focus on Abigail Boone (Vanessa Sotomayor), who takes care of cows and provides milk and eggs for the town.
Due to the lack of resources they have though, the cows have not been fed and are dying or becoming sick. We also meet Daisy-Lynn Bennet (Christina Breza) who has been orphaned, leaving her destitute and under the care of Beulah Reed (Megan Borkes) who seems very interested in keeping Bennet naive.
As the townsfolk discuss their excitement or wariness of the ritual, a newcomer whose car has broken down, Jacob Turner (Robie Phillips), is looking for help. Bennet is very excited by the prospect of someone new, Reed is suspicious of his presence, and Boone wants him out of the town. However, after an off-stage talk between Reed and Rev. Thorne, Turner is more than welcome to stay, and can even be present for the ritual.
When walking in, the set’s design (courtesy Isaac Bannasch) feels cozy and is bathed in warm lighting (from Bradley Cronenwett) making it easy to feel at home. Bennet and Boone share the common space with and interact with the audience in character, showing off their personalities before the show even begins. Once the show starts, we are introduced to the three ladies and see them interact. Each character is well acted, and it is fun seeing the different accents and personalities all at play. Especially enjoyable was Christina Breza’s performance as Daisy-Lynn Bennet; equal parts delightful and dark. When Christopher Pruitt as Rev. Amos Thorne finally appears, he commands the stage as he plays a fatherly figure you can’t seem to trust fully.
Unfortunately, the show seems to fall flat in storytelling. While the mystery of the ritual does add intrigue, the two-hour runtime (including two 10 minute breaks) leaves the topic tired. This is something that could be forgiven, if the reveal of the ritual wasn’t anticlimactic. American Gothic wants to comment on how important it is to have systems in place for a city to thrive even when it hits hard times, but it takes the route of telling and not showing those problems. The topic would have made the message hit harder had it been approached with more nuance.
Advertised as a horror-comedy, American Gothic certainly had a few laughs, but the biggest fear this production provides came less from scaring the audience and more from the production itself being scared to commit. The scare factor was pretty low, and that would have been something to more easily look past if they had leaned more into some of the campiness sprinkled throughout the play. However, that did not come to fruition either, and it seems playing it safe didn’t help but ended up hurting the overall experience.
The $35 ticket not only provides entry to the show, but also two pre-determined drinks that are a part of the plot. There is a non-alcoholic and alcoholic options for both, but neither option was very flavorful. Thankfully, if you find yourself particularly thirsty, there is a bar, which might not only quell your thirst, but help you enjoy the show a little more.
8 p.m. Friday-Monday, Aug. 28-31, New Generation Theatrical, 3201 E. Colonial Drive, newgentheatrical.org, $35.
