The Guthrie Theatre’s Edgardo Mine a hit

-- Rebecca Haven

As a baby, Edgardo Mortara was deathly ill. His Catholic nursemaid assuming, that he was going to die in her care, baptized him in order to save his Jewish soul. Edgardo recovered, and at age seven, was ripped from his home by the Catholic Church who, at the time, believed a Christian could not live among those of the Jewish faith.

Set in 1850s Italy, the Guthrie Theater’s current play, Edgardo Mine (directed by Mark Lamos), focuses on the struggle between the Jewish and Catholic faiths in a predominantly Catholic world.

Edgardo Mine was written for the stage by Alfred Uhry, and is based on a true story and the book The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara by David Kertzer. Uhry is famous for several works, including Driving Miss Daisy for which he won an Academy Award.

Edgardo Mine begins with a grand entrance by Pope Pius IX (Brian Murray) declaring that he is the "greatest tourist attraction in Rome." Attention is then flipped to Edgardo’s Jewish mother Marianna (Jennifer Regan) and father Momolo (Ron Menzel), who talk of their Jewish faith and their decision to settle in Italy.

Edgardo continues its struggle and takes on the two sides throughout.

Edgardo the child is spoken of but only shown once for a split second at the end of the first act. The absence of Edgardo only adds to the feeling of longing that is so strongly portrayed by Marianna.

Uhry provides no easy answers. The conflict is shown through the eyes of both sides. There is no clear villain, just the clear portrayal of each side, Jewish and Catholic, believing they are doing the right thing.

Pius IX’s faith is strengthened through the struggle over Edgardo, which he believes was set in motion by God. Marianna loses her faith in any God and, in turn, her family. Regan does a phenomenal job of portraying a mother who is strong in her faith and then ruined by the loss of her son.

Other parties, such as the French government, get involved, and by the end of the play both sides are broken and weathered. Marianna and Momolo are old and dying, and so is the Church. Pius IX reigned during the fall of Rome, leaving the Catholic Church to rule only the few square blocks of the Vatican.

Uhry is a master at pulling the audience in with high emotion and then breaking that with a quick comment by the same character. Edgardo is no exception and provides some ironic laughs at just the right moments that help break up the intensely emotional dialogue.

The Guthrie Theater’s McGuire Proscenium Stage is the perfect venue for Edgardo. The stage design (Riccardo Hernández) consists of ornate Roman pillars and perfectly captures the feel of a church. The acoustics allow for the eerie echo of a sanctuary to emphasize the presence of the Catholic Church. The costume design (Candice Donnelly) is first rate, and the entire ensemble is, in true Guthrie fashion, extraordinary.

Though set in another century, Edgardo addresses issues that are very relevant to our world today and rightfully offers an unbiased, unabashed view of each side of the story.

Edgardo Mine ran through Nov. 17. For tickets to the Guthrie theatre, call (612) 377-2224 or 1 (877) 44-STAGE, or visit http://www.guthrietheater.org.