Genesis Reboot: A Do-Over for the Garden of Eden

What if a well-intentioned angel grabbed the power to start our world all over again. With new light. And a new tree of knowledge. And a new Adam and and a new Eve. And new brothers Cain and Able. And no plans for an apple or a serpent. Could that idyllic perfection be maintained? Or would human flaws and frailties doom the do-over to the same result we find in the Biblical tale. And, oh yeah, what if a mischievous demon just happened to worm his way into the story? How would that affect the outcome?

This ambitious, thought-provoking scenario forms the basis for Synetic Theater's latest production, Genesis Reboot which is playing until March 4th here in Crystal City.

The playbill lists 7 verses of Genesis from The King James Bible as the play's synopsis. In actuality, the play was written by long-time theater company member Ben Cunis and his brother Peter, with much input from the 6-member cast. Cunis directs the 90-minute performance which has received a Helen Hayes recommendation.

Eve, Adam, Angel, Demon, and apple in the new Eden

In his director's note, Cunis says the play does not seek to simply retell the familiar story of Genesis.
"We wish to confront the very idea of retelling," he said. "What does it mean to revisit the past? What does it mean to re-create? What is the role of the creator once the creation exists? And what if that creation is alive?"

The temptation and torments of Eve

 
The play, which is part of Synetic's New Movements series, is somewhat of a departure for the widely-recognized physical theater company since dialog is integral to the performance. However, as is always the case with Synetic, the real power is provided by the mesmerizing merger of movement, scenery, set, costume, and music. All of the action takes place around an innovative, intriguing metallic-like tree of knowledge. Costume enhancements and the backing soundtrack with hints of garbled computer commands further emphasized the Victorian steampunk meets modern mechanistic feel of the new Eden.

So does the reboot work? Or does it suffer fatal error? Is it a brave new world of good or of evil or of something else all together. Are we left with poet William Blake's bright Songs of Innocence or a much bleaker Songs of Experience? Angel or demon? - Cunis and his talented company leave that for the viewer to decide. But, if you take in the play, you will be both entertained and challenged. And what more can you ask from mythical creation than that.

Tales, Tidbits, and Tips
Following the performance, Cunis, musical composer Clint Herring, costume designer Kristy Leigh Hall, and all 6 cast members engaged in an enlightening question-and-answer session with the audience. Cunis said that the play was an outgrowth of a short story about Cain and Abel his brother had written. For the play, Cunis wrote the scenes with Adam and Eve, his brother the scenes with Cain and Abel, and they shared the writing on the scenes with the angel and the demon. The actors said their central task was to find the humanity in the mythical archetypes and bring that to the stage. All agreed that the effort was truly collaborative and ever-changing, even after the debut when the final scene was reworked to make it more powerful. For example, Herring credited actor Joseph Carlson, who portrayed the demon with trickery and zest, with providing the key idea for his character's music. "What I had written wasn't working. Joe brought in what he was listening to to get into his character. It was The Black Keys. Now I'm not The Black Keys, but I can write something straight forward rock and roll. And that worked," Herring said.