Long Overdue

Passage Theatre goes ‘Underneath the Lintel.’

By: Stuart Duncan
   Underneath The Lintel, which is being revived by Passage Theatre Company in Trenton, is a curious mix of styles, mystery and religion, carefully crafted with intelligence and humor. It bows casually to the modern appetite for works such as The Rule of Four, The Da Vinci Code and even Proof. Then it stubbornly refuses to make up its mind as to exactly where it intends to settle, frustrating audiences rather than satisfying them at the end of a 90-minute (without intermission) journey.
   Like so many plays in the first quarter of the year, the show has a single actor — in this case the tremendously appealing Christopher Coucill — and he begins by walking out shyly to greet the audience, ducking behind the wall for an instant and emerging triumphantly with a large satchel. He explains he has only this single evening and one chance to get his story told. It turns out he is a Dutch librarian, used to working as a "date stamper," mostly for returned items, and therefore is responsible for overdue accounts. Not a tremendously important job, but one which apparently satisfies his limited curiosity.
   He does have a story to tell, however, and we learn that one day a book was returned to his library that was 113 years overdue, a fact that seemed to have some interest for him. He then begins to pull exhibits from his case, much like a prosecutor might assemble exhibits for a jury. In fact he pins them up on a classroom-type board and occasionally uses a blackboard to make notes or list dates.
   He admits that although he seldom worried much about vacation days, he now uses them to check out further clues as to who might have had the book, who might have returned it. And why. He also has our interest. And then playwright Glen Berger clearly changes focus. The librarian veers to tell the tale of the myth of "The Wandering Jew." It seems that when Jesus was on his trek to the hill at Calvary, he dropped his heavy cross and a Jewish cobbler came out of his shop to shout "move on." In reply, Jesus sentenced him to wander the Earth without rest until Jesus should return again. This myth now takes over the librarian’s story. He takes longer and longer trips away from the library in search of dry-cleaning tickets, bus transfer slips and the like.
   And the audience’s attention sags perceptibly; the mystery has turned to speculative myth. Actor Coucill does everything within his power to infuse tiny ripples of comedy, but the playwright has given him little help. The exhibits pile up, but the answers never come and we are left at the end without resolution.
   And the title? Well, it is explained that when that Jewish shoemaker came out of his shop to shout at Jesus, he was standing underneath the lintel, the supporting element of the doorway. On such details are titles inspired.
Underneath The Lintel continues at Passage Theatre Company’s Mill Hill Playhouse, Front and Montgomery streets, Trenton, March 17, 8 p.m., March 25, 3 p.m. Tickets cost $20, $18 seniors, $10 students. For information, call (609) 392-0766. On the Web: www.passagetheatre.org