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| Amanda Farbstein as one of the Joes. (Mark and Tracy Photography) |
Father Joe Bradley
has turned his autobiography, “The Four Gifts,” into a play of the same name
being staged by Hillbarn Theatre & Conservatory.
With editing by
Antonia Ehlers and script supervision by Dan Demers, former Hillbarn artistic
director, the play concerns a man who overcame a crisis of faith, substance
abuse and major heart issues to become a Catholic priest serving at Serra High School and St. Gregory’s Catholic
Church in San Mateo.
Joe had wanted to
become a priest from the time he was a teenager in the early ’70s, but his
father encouraged him to experience the real world to be sure the priesthood
was for him.
He got a ground crew
job at San Francisco International Airport, where he began indulging in alcohol
and drugs, especially after his father’s death.
Eventually he did
become a priest, but he developed heart trouble and had to have a pacemaker and
defibrillator implanted at UCSF.
(He could have gone
to Stanford Medical Center, but refused because he was still angry at the way
the Stanford band had made fun of Notre Dame during halftime of a football
game.)
When his
defibrillator went haywire, subjecting him to great pain, he wound up getting a
successful heart transplant. In all, he spent a year in the hospital.
The medical scenes
don’t place doctors in a very good light. Yes, they’re knowledgeable and
effective, but the bedside manner of most of them leaves something to be
desired.
For example, the
doctor played by Amanda Farbstein is brusque and cold, not giving Joe much
chance to respond or showing concern for him as a person.
His story is related
by a cast of four women and six men who play multiple roles, including Joe.
Each time another actor takes over the role, he or she receives a necklace with
a cross from the previous Joe.
This gambit is fairly
easy to follow but seems unnecessary. The story itself is interesting and would
be better served if each character were played by the same person.
Although the play
doesn’t specifically enumerate the four gifts, Good Reads, an online site,
lists them as faith, sobriety, a new heart and a fulfilling ministry.
Directed by Cara
Phipps, the cast is quite good in varied roles. Among the standouts is Farbstein.
Besides a doctor, she’s one of the Joes and a co-worker at the airport. Also
noteworthy is Cody Wittlinger, who plays the first young Joe.
Patrick W. Lord has
designed the simple set and the projections shown on three transparent panels
upstage.
Costumes are by Pam
Lampkin with lighting by Ron Ho. James Goode’s sound design features musical
snatches from the Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, James Taylor and others from
the ’70s.
Running about 90
minutes without intermission, “The Four Gifts” will continue through Aug. 21 at
Hillbarn Theatre, 1285 E. Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City.
For tickets and
information, call (650)
349-6411 or visit www.hillbarntheatre.org.
