BRATTLEBORO — A Mighty Outcry, the fourth of a set of mystery plays written for young people with words and music by Paul Dedell, will premiere on Saturday, April 28, at 7 p.m. and on Sunday, April 29, at 4:30 p.m., at St. Michael's Episcopal Church.
According to an news release, A Mighty Outcry explores the complex young woman known popularly as “Joan of Arc.” Although Joan is now an icon of French identity, this play seeks to discover the young woman who not only led armies, but who wept for those who perished on both sides.
Joan was 13 when she began hearing voices urging her to rescue the people of France from the English army, who were waging a “scorched earth” campaign at that time in France. She managed to persuade the Dauphin of France to allow her to lead troops to the besieged city of Orleans as part of a relief mission.
She gained prominence when the siege was lifted after only nine days. Several additional swift victories paved the way for the final French victory. At the age of 18, she was captured by a pro-English faction and put on trial. She was burned at the stake one year later.
Resonant themes
Composer Paul Dedell wanted to avoid the narrow stereotypes that exist about Joan, and he also wanted to examine some of the topics that remain surprisingly resonant today, particularly gender identity and the persuasive force of religious fanaticism.
But he says, “the central question of the play is how does one discern the rightness of the inner voices that guide our decisions? This is a question which is particularly critical during the teen years of life, and one that is central to the inner story of Joan herself.”
As a lover of history, Dedell said he found delving into the transcripts of the trials of Joan of Arc riveting.
“I based some of the language of the production on the actual texts of the trials, including the title of the play. Even though I created an original narrative, the basis for her dramatic personality is vivid in these transcripts. Her voice literally rings in my ears - her strength, her vision, her fears."
Susan Dedell is music director for the production, which features the talented senior members of The Choir School, a program she founded to train young singers that is now in its fourth year.
“These wonderful young people have a way of bringing the core message of these shows right to the front burner,” Susan said in the news release. “Their freshness is matched only by their insight.”
Paul Dedell wrote A Mighty Outcry with 14-year-old Clara Fritz in mind to play Joan.
“Having watched Clara over the last 4 years, I was well aware of her incredible natural dramatic gifts,” Paul said. “Although Clara is herself a fairly quiet person, she has clearly got an independent spirit that guides her. Like Joan, she is both feisty and reflective.
“I wanted to explore Joan, not just as a totally unlikely brilliant military leader, but as a normal young girl who played and danced with her friends, and one who had hopes and dreams for a future that was unimaginable to everyone around her. Clara is simply stunning in this role, which requires both acting and singing skills to the max.”
Embracing mystery plays
Mystery plays originated in the 10th century as dramatized representations of the lives of saints, but they evolved over the next 500 years into elaborate and highly fanciful productions.
At their height in the 15th century, mystery plays could be quite elaborate in their production. Mechanical devices, trapdoors, and other artifices were employed to portray flying angels, fire-spouting monsters, miraculous transformations, and graphic martyrdoms.
Throughout England and Europe, almost every town of some size held week-long festivals of plays, with the town craft guilds each producing their own play. They were eventually banned by both the church and various governments because they frequently contained political and social commentary that was considered revolutionary.
“Susan and I are fascinated by these remarkable plays, which laid the foundation for all drama to come, as well as musical theater of all kinds,” Paul said. ”Mystery plays then, like ours now, often examine a particular person or story with a fresh slant, and they often blend serious drama with farce or comedy.
“It is a rich legacy, and one that we find totally compelling. There are still festivals of mystery plays held in various cities in England, particularly York, as well as in Paris and Dresden. It is fun to think that perhaps Brattleboro will become the mystery play capital of the United States!”