On Thursday, September 3rd, Promised Land opened in the Stockton Performing Arts Center’s Experimental Theater. An original play put on by Chrysalis Staging (a group founded by Stockton alumni), Promised Land takes place in the not-so-distant future, where global warming has turned the once-civilized world into one of violence, desperation, and control. Abraham, a land-owning farmer, struggles to feed the thousands of people who live off his land, while his wife Ester and her “Scarecrows” gather intelligence and maintain order, often through violent means. Their daughter Rebecca, seemingly innocent, has a dark, rebellious side. When a traveling salesman named Elliot arrives at Abraham’s doorstep, he brings with him the possibility of reversing the damage done to Abraham’s land…and, perhaps, the rest of the world.
Promised Land had a four-night run at the Experimental Theater. Though the Experimental Theater was small, it allowed for an intimacy between the actors and the audience that is rarely experienced in larger productions. The set – a farm house, barn, and windmill – was versatile and detailed, allowing most of the play’s action to occur in one locale. What truly took the play to the next level was its use of props and audio. Throughout the show, gunfire (blanks, of course) and haunting, rumbling transition tracks created a dark and tense atmosphere. Just as expertly, the comic dialogue between the characters, particularly between Abraham and Ester, provided a brief respite from the sincerity of the plot.
Without a doubt, Promised Land was one of the best plays I have seen. Though the story was fiction, it dealt with real issues that our generation will have to resolve: global warming, climate change, a growing global population, food shortages, etc. The characters stayed with me for days afterward, particularly Elliot, who was lively, driven, and, unfortunately, dead by the end of the play. The fact that a new group such as Chrysalis Staging could put on such an incredible show is truly inspiring. Hopefully they will continue to perform here at Stockton University.