Avow

By ROBERT L. DANIELS

A George Street Playhouse presentation, in association with Anita Howe-Waxman and Craig Anderson, of a play in two acts by Bill C. Davis. Directed by Gillian Layne.
 
Cast: Peter Gantenbein (Brian), Michael Booth (Tom), Michael Rupert (Father Raymond), Christina Haag (Irene), Suzanne Inman (Julie), Rosemary Prinz (Rose), Richard Russell Ramos (Father Nash).
 

I'm a salad bar Catholic," muses Brian. "I take what I feel I need, and leave the rest!" One can approach Bill C. Davis' muddled "Avow" much the same way. A drama invested with enough conflict and family crises to fuel a full season of a daytime soap, "Avow" takes on enough baggage to fill a freight car.

Brian (Peter Gantenbein), who trains seeing-eye dogs, requests a radical priest, Father Raymond (Michael Rupert), to marry him and his male lover, Thomas (Michael Booth). Brian's sister Irene (Christina Haag), pregnant by a married man, wants Brian and Thomas to adopt her unborn child. In her first confessional in 17 years, Irene seeks comfort from Father Raymond, and there appears to be more than a little chemistry between priest and confessor. Forbidden passion is waiting in the wings, as Father Raymond struggles with his vows, beliefs and pledge of chastity.

Rose, the mother of Brian and Irene (gamely acted by Rosemary Prinz), joins the siblings for lunch, and tosses off the evening's funniest line with deadpan resignation: "Here I am with my gay son and my unmarried pregnant daughter!" Spiritual issues arise, along with the emotional decisions of the priest and his little troubled flock. The warmth, wit and human interaction so deftly illustrated in Davis' acclaimed "Mass Appeal," are clearly missing.

There is, as the playwright readily relates, "more moral dilemma than piano keys." Haag manages to rise above the clutter with an arresting performance. Prinz grabs her few scenes with relish and makes them rattle and ring, and Suzanne Inman adds a droll assist as a leveling housekeeper. Rupert makes a valiant attempt to come to terms with his Roman collar, but he is thwarted at every turn by the play's convoluted maze.

Director Gillian Layne moves her players efficiently on Stephan Olson's slick and uncluttered set.

Set, Stephan Olson; costumes, James Scott; lighting, Donald Holder; sound , Shawn Deiger; composer, Marvin Laird; stage manager, Thomas L. Clewell. Producing artistic director, Gregory S. Hurst. Opened Sept. 28, 1996, at the George Street Playhouse. Reviewed Oct. 4; 360 seats; $ 30 top. Running time: 2 HOURS, 30 MIN.