A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE AT THE THEATER
First Floor Theater’s Chicago premiere of In His Hands by Benjamin Benn, which opened last night, is breathtaking from start to finish. Benn’s writing is a poem of the mundane turned miraculous, and the deeply intimate, visually striking production does Benn’s words justice.
Alex Benito Rodriguez and Matt Klingler
This is a list of things Christian (Alex Benito Rodriguez) believes in: logic, banana Laffy Taffy, video games, and Daniel. This is a list of things Christian doesn’t believe in: caffeine, alcohol, monogamy, and God. When Christian starts falling for Daniel (Yuchi Chiu), an aspiring Lutheran pastor and Mario Kart wizard, voices from Christian’s past threaten to overpower the connection they share — with one another and something bigger than themselves.
Alex Benito Rodriguez and Yuchi Chiu
Religion is a touchy subject in the theatre world, and sexuality is a touchy subject in many organized religions. Benn has written a play that doesn’t shy away from how these subjects intersect and deeply affect people. He does it with grace, truth, and beauty, gifting us with a piece of theatre that is, in itself, a spiritual experience.
Alex Benito Rodriguez and Yuchi Chiu
Alex Benito Rodriguez gives a heartbreaking performance as Christian, swinging from suave confidence to soul crushing shame in the snap of a finger. Yuchi Chiu gives a wide-open performance as Daniel, putting his heart on display for all to see.
Yuchi Chiu and Alex Benito Rodriguez
Both actors are in good hands with violence and intimacy co-directors Courtney Abbott and Kirsten Baity. (For this play, that’s a two-person job). Some extremely delicate and intimate moments are handled with the utmost care, creating stunning stage pictures and some truly gut-wrenching beats.
Yuchi Chiu and Alex Benito Rodriguez
Similarly, Micah Figueroa’s directing and Emily Brooks’s assistant directing and choreography create some magical and surprising moments with next to no props and a very minimal set designed by Jonathan Berg-Einhorn. They use The Den Theatre space very well and turn Benn’s poetry into a dance.
Yuchi Chiu, Matt Martin, and Alex Benito Rodrigez
While I can still see some room for continued growth in this new play, particularly in Daniel’s character arc, I think this play is very close to its final form, and I will certainly be keeping an eye open for its next production. I will be dragging my friends to see it, just as I plan to drag my friends to see First Floor Theater’s production before it closes.
Yuchi Chiu and Alex Benito Rodriguez
I imagine each audience member will take something different from this play, but I can’t imagine you will leave unmoved. In His Hands is a brutal meditation on faith and sexuality, and it left me with a profound feeling of hope. God bless this beautiful play.
photos by Michael Brosilow
In His Hands
First Floor Theater
The Den Theatre Crosby 2B, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave.
90 minutes, no intermission
Thurs-Sat at 8; Sun at 3; Mon at 8 (industry night, August 12)
ends on August 24, 2024
for tickets ($5-$35) visit The Den Theatre
for more shows, visit Theatre in Chicago
