In the Green

In the Green

Lincoln Center Theater

at the Claire Tow

July 27, 2019

Photo courtesy of Lincoln Center Theater

In the Green, a new musical by Grace McLean, is now playing at Lincoln Center.  It has a unique score that reflects the style and mood of its medieval setting.  It is based on historic characters and tells the story of their spiritual catharsis.  The cast of five women play various roles and sing for a full ninety-minutes.  Their voices blend and separate as tensions in the action build to reveal the depth of the story.

The year is 1106.  Eight-year-old Hildegard von Bingen is tithed to the Catholic Church.  She is to be a handmaid to Jutta von Sponheim, who lives in complete seclusion.  She voluntarily locked herself in a cell connected to an abbey church.  During their time together the women share their stories.  They seek freedom from the outside world and journey toward wholeness.  After thirty years of solitude and Jutta’s death, Hildegard emerges from her cloistered cell to share her wisdom with the community.

Photo courtesy of Lincoln Center Theater

This is a very dark and obscure story, structured and told in a way that is befitting its topic and time period.  There are outstanding and moving performances by Rachael Duddy, Ashley Perez Flanagan, Grace McLean, Mia Pak, and Hannah Whitney.

In the Green is playing at Lincoln Center’s Claire Tow Theater through August 4.

Domenick Danza