By Bart Greenberg***Police sirens are heard. Searchlights roam the stage. A man in a hoodie and several days growth of beard runs into the trash-filled alley and seeks a place to hide. Thus begins *mark (a solo performance of the Gospel of Mark). When the police move on, he returns to begin his talk—exactly who he is, is left unclear, only identified as The Storyteller (George Drance) in the program. He 
begins to tell his tale casually and lightly, using pieces of chalk to draw a map on the ground and various symbols on a wall, locating the various locations and incidents as he related them. Interrupted by intrusive searchlights on several occasions, his delivery grows in passion and intensity as his story deepens and darkens. And by the way, his story, the words, are directly from a modern translation of The Gospel of Mark.
Drance gives a most impressive star turn. The non-stop 100-minute delivery of the Gospel is certainly a physical and vocal challenge, but he betrays no effort throughout. His performance is far more than one of stamina; he remains in the moment throughout and finds a wide range of expressions and intensity levels so that his rendition is never boring nor predictable. He also finds a good deal of unexpected humor in the personalities he speaks of, both verbally and physically. It is a portrayal to be admired.
The text is endlessly fascinating, especially for those who didn’t learn it as a child—and whether one accepts it as fact or as cultural history. The text is abundant with recognizable quotes, both religious (“what good is it for you to gain the whole world yet forfeit your soul?”) and some that have moved into more general use (“if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand”). The Gospel According to Mark has a long tradition of oral presentation. (Historically, it is the first of the four Biblical gospels, although there are actually more, and it was a very long time before it was set down in writing. This project is clearly embracing that tradition as it celebrates the human voice and the religious message.
One of the intriguing aspects of the production is a musical score by the late multi-award winning composer-playwright-director Elizabeth Swados. The melodies dramatically underlined the material without overwhelming it and even occasionally gave Drance a chance to sing (which he does quite well). Adrian Yuen provided the atmospheric lighting; the simple set was provided by Mark Tambella. Jacqueline Lucid directed with an almost invisible hand, (based on the earlier direction by Luann Jennings for the original production at LaMaMa ETC), keeping the show moving smoothly and retaining the interest of the audience. *mark (A solo performance of the Gospel of Mark) is certainly an unique presentation for believers and those who are not.
*mark (a solo performance of the Gospel of Mark) is presented at Theatre 315, 315 W. 47th St., NYC. Running time is 1:40, no intermission. Masks are requested. It runs through April 22. For more information and for tickets, check out Eventbrite: tinyurl.com/36h7rzdt.
