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This weekend, I went to see Joan, a NJPAC production performed at the Cherry Lane Theatre. Written and directed by my former theater director, Christian Ely, I was very excited to see the show.

This play was a deconstruction of the myth of Joan of Arc inspired by George Bernard Shaw’s Saint Joan and Bertolt Brecht’s Visions of Simone Machard. The cast consisted of talented students between the ages of 13-18, who had studied both influential pieces for this production.

This play began in an apocalyptic 2008, in a world torn apart by war. The simple set involved a web of ropes woven around the stairs, which served as obstacles through which the actors navigated. It was a physical show, demonstrating the emphasis on physical training that the actors received as part of NJPAC’s Summer Youth Performance Workshop.

I was very impressed with the work of this youthful cast, particularly Samantha Kaye Henning (Joan), Kira Seiger (Mary), and Tyrell Willis (Shekree). The production was compelling and thought-provoking.