Red Orchid Theatre Presents IS GOD IS Review

Walking into Red Orchid’s space for Is God Is, it is hard to know what to expect. The entire set is white – comprised of two groups of white stools and tables, clumped together on a white floor. At the back of the space is a white wall with dark cracks, and a large white circle hanging from the ceiling. As always, the space is detailed and intimate. An audience member feels as though they are a part of the stage no matter which row they find themselves in, and that remains the same for this set.

As the lights go down for the top of the show, the white circle at the back of the room begins to pulse with red light. A beating sound fills the space. As the circle lights up, red light fills the cracks on the back wall. Suddenly we are no longer looking at simple shapes on the wall, but rather a beating heart – with blood pulsing through the veins. The sound intensifies, and our own hearts beat faster with the anticipation.

This Chicago premiere is a story about familial revenge. There is anger. There are injuries. And there is a ton of blood. As with any revenge story, there is a ticking time clock – waiting for the goal to be completed. The heartbeat at the top of the show immediately sets that clock in motion. Buckle up because this fast train of a story runs at full speed until lights down at the end.

A Red Orchid Theatre presents Is God Is

Written by Aleshea Harris, the story centers on a set of twins – Racine (Aja Singletary) and Anaia (Ashli Rene Funches). When they receive a letter from a mother (or She, portrayed by Karen Aldridge) they long thought dead, they embark on a journey of revenge. Their “mission from God” is to avenge their mother with the murder of their father, and they will stop at nothing to make sure that comes to fruition. As they travel long distances and meet characters from the past, they begin to see what lengths they will have to go in order to meet their goal. In how much violence are they willing to participate, and at what point does it become too much?

As their mother tells the story, we see the space transform into a memory of the past. Haze fills the room, and we are brought back to the day that their father (or Man – portrayed by Kevin Minor) set the bathroom on fire. You might just find that Aldridge’s physical acting abilities are beyond compare as we see her settle into the memory – writhing in pain as she describes how their father attacked her. Her narration trembles she remembers the violent details of the day. As he sets the room on fire in one final attempt to punish her, Lighting Designer Levi Wilkins transforms the space yet again – filling the room with a blur of red, yellow, and orange that become even more vivid as they reflect off of the white set pieces. Sound Designer Daniel Etti-Williams completes the ambiance with the sounds of burning as we watch She re-live that fateful day. The intimate space aids the story yet again – drawing the audience into the fire in a way that is all-consuming.

As the twins experience this pain through Aldridge’s compelling storytelling, we are filling with the same anger – understanding why they are driven to take vengeful action.

Directed by Marti Gobel, this is an emotional roller coaster from start to finish. Much as the content warnings suggest, Is God Is is not for the faint of heart. However, if you are one for stories that make you think and examine the systemic issues within our society, then this play is absolutely for you. Gobel’s powerhouse cast brings the story to terrifying life – and the audience’s close proximity to the stage makes it almost literally impossible to turn away from the violence that ensues.

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