NY Review: 'Damascus'

The phrase "the road to Damascus" is a common literary allegory. Taken from the biblical account of the trip on which Saul-turned-Paul found Jesus, it means that everyone has his or her own journey to redemption. The unnamed central character in "Damascus," a fictional one-man show written and performed by Andrew Weems, searches for metaphorical salvation along a somewhat trite path, encountering a cast of characters that includes an Indian teller at a check-cashing store, a Korean deli owner, a bookstore employee named Annie, and her boyfriend Phil. However, the more-than-obvious structural parallels with Paul's conversion make for predictable storytelling, despite Weems' engaged performance. Director Ian Belknap needs to add more motion to this largely sedentary 90 minutes.

The central character starts out with nothing. His landlord is running him out of his apartment. He can't get any checks cashed, as all he has for identification is an expired passport. He steals from the bookstore where he works and subsequently loses his job and the girl he likes. Then he gets fined for drinking one of his many beers in public. With nothing to lose, he decides to run away, similar to how, when our hero was younger, his father escaped to India and started a school there.

The biblical allusions are greater in the second act, when the man recounts a short story from a magazine he stole from his former employer. The main character of the story, Alexander, also travels to India and through the power of theater and storytelling finds a human connection with the people there, another salvation of sorts. The interlude is entertaining if somewhat long for its purpose: to remind Weems' protagonist of the importance of his own healing.

Weems' passion for the work comes through in his performance, though he's a tad stiff in the first act, sitting at scenic designer Neil Patel's simple desk. The author-actor has a knack for accents, but his seated position makes "Damascus" feel more like an in-person narrated audio book rather than a performance. He warms up in Act 2, when Belknap frees him from the desk and Weems' physicalizations of his characters get better play. Daniel Chapman and Annie Wiegand's lighting is subtle and adds a nice touch, particularly in a final moment, and Fitz Patton and Mark Van Hare's sound is crisp, though some of the noises for rural India recall an African safari.

Weems' tale is pleasant but struggles to extend beyond that. He's undeniably talented and dedicated, but the story might fare better in the pages of a magazine than under stage lights.

Presented by the Acting Company at the 4th Street Theater, 83 E. Fourth St., NYC. June 6–24. Schedule varies. (800) 838-3006 or www.brownpapertickets.com.