Though Hollywood Fight Club's production didn't match MCCV's breakout hit (on its way to New York after many months in L.A., and sold-out performances in San Francisco, Edinburgh, and Dublin), I enjoyed it nonetheless. Just to hear McNally's words and go on that journey again made it special. Beautiful Tavi Stutz, as Joshua, is quite good in the first act, but needs to dig deeper as Joshua's life nears its end. Still, he has a look of goodness and purity about him that makes him a very good choice for the role. I also liked Jeff Castle's work as Judas. There are a couple standout performances in the supporting cast (David Schifilliti, Chioke DMachi), and others who have some very effective moments (including Mike Ball, Kerry Clemens, Mario Kenyon, Tom Krause). Two of the actors appear out of their depth, but that's not surprising considering the difficulty of casting this particular play in this type of theatrical setting. It was interesting seeing a totally different staging from MCCV's, and considering the very tight quarters for a cast of 13, it was a challenge mostly well met. Clemens, the lone female cast member, seems out of place (despite excellent work). Either cast Corpus Christi all male (as the original was) or mixed (with at least 3 women in the cast) as in MCCV's production. It is obvious that the cast is committed to the project, and it was a sell-out house. This production loses a lot of the humor of the MCCV production, mostly a matter of timing, a shame because there are laughs just waiting to happen. Still, I'm very glad that I went, because Corpus Christi is an extraordianry piece of theater, with one of the most powerful endings you're lokely to see. At least half of the cast are actors whose work I'd definitely like to see more of, especially Stutz and Schifilliti. A solid B for this production.
