Two titles come to mind when I consider Brian Friel’s 1979 play, Faith Healer: “A Terrible Liar,” which actor-playwright Hume Cronyn’s named his 1991 memoir, and Akira Kurosawa’s 1950 film classic, Rashomon. Faith Healer is quinessential storytelling. Three closely related characters proffer monologues describing their closely intertwined relationship. They do not interact, but simply speak directly to their audience. As in Rashomon, Friel’s characters’ versions differ profoundly, particularly in their account of the drama’s surprising yet inevitable conclusion.
Whose story is most trustworthy? Why such gaping discrepancies in their details? As Cronyn reminds us, joy, pain, triumphs, and trauma stain memory. As you will see, tonight’s heroes - Frank, Grace and Teddy - have been spared little of these experiences, especially the latter.
Friel, arguably Ireland’s most hailed dramatist since Synge and O’Casey, tells this story in rich, beguiling language. He grounds his tale in such themes as loyalty, loss, the burden of memory and the inconsistency of a talent - faith healing, in this case. Friel’s work, replete with subtext, dares to actively engage our imagination rather than invite us to sit back passively, awaiting neat, bow-tied resolutions.
In the final analysis, Faith Healer is a love story. Not romanticized love, but rather stubborn, crazy, messy, exuberant, and harmful love.
I wish to thank our cast, crew, and all the generous, passionate volunteers of the Sherman Players that make this happen. I hope you’ll agree that they’ve created a wonderful memory.
E. Kyle Minor
Director
