Hail, Mary, full of grace,

the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou amongst women

and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners,

now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Or is Mary a whore? Or is Mary the mother of two Apostles? Or is Mary an undead man’s sister? Erin Shields’ Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary features four of the women in Christ’s orbit who also just so happened to all be named Mary. Taking widely known iconography and adding a heavy sprinkle of modern feminism, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary is a fascinating play which asks audiences to consider the women behind the men of the “greatest story ever told.”

Red carpet covers everything on stage, save for the stones which are a constant reminder of the hot and rough terrain these women are going to traverse. Carved into the floor are crosses, though most are partially covered by the various risers and steps which make up the set. Moi Tran’s set design evokes the blood which haunts the bible stories. While there might be something to be said for staging this play in a proscenium to mirror one of the most recognizable images they use within the play, the in-the-round configuration of this world premiere allows for an intimacy which befits the material. The costumes, however, feel incongruous to this: athletic jackets with body suits underneath have a jarringly modern aesthetic, while also making it more easy to confuse the Mary’s. While the latter part is likely by design, the style in general felt out of place to the story.

Mary, meet Mary. And here’s another, and another. Four of the women who were the closest to Jesus throughout his life, according to the Bible, were all named Mary. An issue which perplexes most Christians from their first days of Sunday School, the Marys have all led very different lives. They have all come to follow Christ, leaving their homes and their husbands to attend to Jesus and his ever-growing flock. It’s not until Salome (one of the few Not-A-Mary’s involved in the play) finds them in the kitchen that the hypocrisy of their position, and their idea of their importance to Jesus, is called into question. Full of familiar and unfamiliar tales, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary tells the story of Christ’s life like you’ve never heard it before.

Sheilds has packed Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary to the brim with references to Christian images while also being able to analyze and poke fun at some of those images from the outside. Having us clap and sway along to their hymn immediately evokes the performative hymn-singing in some sects, though I was very happy to clap along when others weren’t seeming to “feel the spirit” of the moment. I also couldn’t stop laughing when a nativity-sized Joseph was used to stand in for the character at the top of the play; it was hilarious in its simplicity. While Salome’s “Dance of the Seven Veils” is a direct reference to the bible, the dance itself went on a little longer than necessary; though it shows off the athleticism of the performer, its point was easily made after the first few moments. However, a motif which fans of Jesus Christ Superstar are likely to pick up on is the counting of the lashes. Christian Horoszczak’s lighting design drastically changes for these moments which punctuate the text, and the crosses in the floor pulse with each whip. I could see Brent Carver in my mind’s eye wincing with each flash of light.

The most powerful scene in my eyes is the penultimate scene: as Jesus is trying to make his peace in the garden of Gethsemane and the women have scattered after the last supper. In these final moments of Christ’s life, the women begin to be consumed by his story. Mary the mother of God begins to melt by the fire – she melts into the iconic image of the Virgin Mary which graces everything from church ceilings to jewelry. Mary, the mother of James and John, has her flesh eaten, devoured as her sons devoured the body of Christ that night. Mary of Bethany, sister of Lazarus, dissolves into a water basin, likely the one which Christ will have his feet washed in in four days time. While Mary Magdalene hides on the outskirts of the garden, her kerchief flies away and her skirts get swept up and torn, making her into the unchaste woman we’ve believed she’s been for centuries. The women disappear into Jesus’ larger narrative, becoming bit players in their own lives. They had given up everything to follow this man, and now the last of them was being taken.

Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary is told by five of Toronto’s best storytellers: Belinda Corpuz, Michelle Monteith, Nancy Palk, Sabryn Rock, and Amaka Umeh. Monteith’s Mary 1 (the mother of Jesus) embodies the desire for closeness shared by mother and child with an openness but also with resolve. Rock is a fierce Mary 2 (Magdalene), standing tall in her power and Mary’s position beside Jesus, until suddenly she’s not. Palk’s Mary 3 (mother of James and John) is a perfect little busy-body, always wanting to make sure her sons are being taken care of, and Palk brings a natural warmth and witty edge to her Mary. Corpuz’s Mary (of Bethany) shines with a sweetness and enthusiasm of the newly converted, and Corpuz shows this perfectly in her characterization. Umeh, the only Not-A-Mary, brings an appropriately over-the-top level of machismo to the male characters they embody, while also being a tantalizing Salome.

I haven’t been in a church for anything but a wedding or funeral in quite some time, yet Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary never left me feeling like I wasn’t a part of the flock. Shields uses the most intimate stories of the Bible to create a story all her own – one where the women’s voices are heard, where they make the miracles, and yet also one where maybe these women don’t factor in as much as they think they do. Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary shows true communion: stories shared with one another like wine taken from the same cup.

Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary runs in the Guloien Theatre at Streetcar Crowsnest until May 3. For more information and tickets, visit: https://www.crowstheatre.com/shows-events/mary-mary-mary-mary

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Hail Mary prayer found here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/prayers/the-hail-mary.html

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Cover Photo: Belinda Corpuz and Nancy Palk in MARY, MARY, MARY, MARY at Crow’s Theatre. Photo by Dahlia Katz.

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