Priests’ lives revisited in Clague’s ‘Mass Appeal’
By Art Thomas
Insights
Published Jan. 13, 2010

Why do men become priests, and what are the difficulties of being a priest, old or young? These are some of the issues explored in “Mass Appeal,” the current attraction at Clague Playhouse. In the course of the play, there is a lot of humor. The script is probably 80 percent comedy, so entertainment is a good reason to see the show. The cast of two is another good reason.

It’s hard to believe that I first saw “Mass Appeal” almost 30 years ago, on Broadway. It was a hit for its engaging script and excellent performances. Today, the show is a bit creaky, but the solid dramaturgy of playwright Bill C. Davis remains mostly strong.

Comfortable, 60ish Father Farley enjoys his suburban parish and a good relationship with the parishioners who ply him with bottles of good wine. Young change-the-world seminarian Mark Dolson comes into the parish with the radical view that women should be priests, and we have the start of the conflict.

Tom Kondilas as Mark Dolson and Robert Hawkes as Father Tim Farley. (Photo credit: James Ely / Clague Playhouse)

“Mass Appeal” is an old-fashioned script. It is tightly written, has logical progressions and each scene is a well-crafted chapter of the whole. Davis gives us the disturbed backgrounds of the old priest and young seminarian. The background of gay priests is introduced gently with humor. Gradually, the believable friendship between Farley and Dolson develops.

The “unseen villain” of “Mass Appeal” is the head of the seminary. Will he prevent Dolson from becoming a deacon? Will Farley stand up to him and tell him he’s a bore? Those questions and others are answered in Act II.

At Clague, Robert Hawkes’ Farley is totally believable. Comfortable with his superficial dealings with the parish, his secretary Margaret is the buffer between him and his duties. Hawkes lets us see into his head as he thinks, calculating what any event might have on his life. A pro, Hawkes also knows how to deliver a laugh line effectively. At opening night, there were some rough edges. A sermon-gone-bad encouraging support for young Mark did not ring true and did not hit the many beats it needed.

Tom Kondilas as the social justice-conscious Mark looks the role of the seminarian. Physically, he too shows what’s going on in the head of Dolson, but verbally, Kondilas misses a lot of the laugh lines.

Jonathan Kronenberger has directed the Clague production with straightforward precision. The first act especially has a dynamism that pulls the audience into the action. Movement is limited and intensifies the dramatic action. Scene changes are a hair too long (actors have to change from priests’ garb to “civies”), but Ron Newell’s set has a life-sized pulpit, which dominates the intimate Clague stage.

I’m not sure that updating the production to 2009 was a good idea. A few contemporary references are jarring, and it would take some major rewrites to have the script reflect current values and mores. (Today, not even an incompetent priest would say to a mother who lost a baby, “At least you’re young enough to have another.”)

As always at Clague, props, set dressings and Lance Switzer’s lighting design each enhance the production. “Mass Appeal” runs through Jan. 31.

On the Web:

• Clague Playhouse