NY Review: 'Heathens'

Playwright Heather Hill seems just as confused about the direction of her play as her characters feel about religion. These semi-intriguing folk don't elicit much empathy as they bicker back and forth about faith and fate. They never hold any strong convictions, while the play wanders as aimlessly as the Israelites in the desert.

Act 1 and Act 2 come across as two separate stories. Set in rural Kentucky, the play opens on self-proclaimed heathen Lulu-Lilly (Lisa Roberts Gillan) and "empath" Sis (Malcolm Madera) stumbling into Lulu-Lilly's home after a night at the local tavern. The pair just met that evening, and in the course of 10 minutes Lulu-Lilly attempts to convince a stunned Sis to marry her. Meanwhile, her grandma rests dead on the card table, mid-game. Sis, obviously disturbed by the corpse, spends the first act trying to convince Lulu-Lily and her returned sister, Junebug (Lauren Fox), to allow him to call someone and dispose of the body. (Why the sisters are so averse to doing so is never clear.)

Act 2 jumps ahead four months. Surprisingly, Sis is still around. Hill gives him some half-baked reasons to stay, but based on his unpredictable and carefree nature, they're not entirely believable. Youthful preacher Jebdiah (Andy Powers) enters the scene to eradicate sin from the godless household but gets caught up in the action in the process. The play rushes to an unsatisfying close that leaves many questions unanswered.

Director Stefanie Sertich carefully disguises many of the plot holes with her acute helming, and while she has gathered a mostly talented group of actors and designers, she can't get Hill's play to coalesce. Fox and Madera deliver energetic, physical performances as Junebug and Sis, though Madera often relies on volume and action to compensate for the writing's shortcomings. Powers is memorable as the conflicted Jebdiah, while Gillan struggles to capture the dimensions of Lulu-Lilly.

Edward Ross' Appalachian set emanates an intimate, rustic vibe. (Building props go to the show's credited carpenter, Evan True.) The cozy living room is complete with mismatched carpet and upholstery. It definitely feels like grandma's house. However, grandma is gone, and so is mother. Lacking guidance, these characters are stuck without direction or purpose, a problem for their verisimilitude and the play itself.

Presented by and at Theater for the New City, 155 First Ave., NYC. March 4–17. Wed.–Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m. (212) 868-4444 or www.smarttix.com.