Musings on The Mysteries

Once I was able to overlook the horrific 80's hair and clothing seen throughout the audience, as well as the 80's video quality, this performance of The Mysteries was spectacular. I was fascinated by the way they staged things around the audience - it must have been a very intimate setting indeed. The set itself was also impressive; I was almost frightened at how high up the angels were! The use of mirrors for light was wonderful, and produced the needed celestial air for that particular scene. I was also surprised by the difference in dialects between the characters. Their style of speaking was so different and interesting to listen to!

I found the portrayal of some things to be different than other versions of these stories I'd heard. For instance, the idea of hell being in a sewer was something I'd never thought of, though it was indeed clever. The other thing that intrigued me was Adam and Eve being trapped inside what appeared to be a hamster's exercise wheel down in hell - definitely not a concept that ever crossed my mind, but amusing nonetheless.The final scenes were also very impressive to me. The giant spinning earth behind Jesus and Mary and God was incredibly trippy - i would imagine that the actors would not have been able to watch it too long without being dizzy! Despite that, it was an incredible addition to an already marvelous set.