The Feast (review)

 Spoilers ahoy!  

Anyone who knows me probably can guess my reaction to the whole idea of a play in which the audience are guests at a dinner party thrown by Grendel's Mother.

For those who don't know, Grendel is the monster whose slaying is the central incident in Beowulf, the only remaining epic poem of Anglo-Saxon.  Feast by Megan Gogerty and directed by Laura Covelli, functions as a sequel of sorts, but with a strong commentary about today, this era, this year, even this hour.  Personally I love this sort of thing, have even written such myself, and last year had the great good fortune of seeing something similar comment on The Odyssey at City Garage.  I could at this moment go on and on about the subject of re-imagining forms of mythology...

But I won't.  You're welcome.

Instead allow me to hopefully stir your imagination about meeting of all creatures Grendel's mother, portrayed with nuance and skill by Erin Schlabach.  What is she?  Well, that is not really clear.  Not at all clear, not in the play nor the original poem nor the various adaptations of such.  She and Grendel are magical beings more or less bound/connected to the land in ways that echo trolls, ents, Yeti, and probably a dozen other mythological creatures.

Beowulf himself was the subject of the poem, and a fair amount of time ends up devoted to discussing him.  After all, he slew Grendel.  Why did he do that?  Ah, therein hangs a tale, and a central point.  Schlabach's character rightly asks that very question.  Did Grendel kill one of Beowulf's kinsman?  Did he stand in the way of a great project or hope for Beowulf's?  Had Grendel offered Beowulf some terrible insult or injury?  Was he threatening Beowulf?  

No.

From the answer to this question a cascade of issues and ideas as well as regrets pour forth.  Century after century of contemplations have brought forth this invitation, this dinner party, in which we the audience--and by that I mean the specific individuals in the room during each performance--are the guests.  Which implies another question--why has Grendel's mother invited us here?

The answer proves not only interesting, but compelling.  Not merely compelling but touching.  More than touching, in many ways profound.  

Being a one person show Feast sinks or swims based on the cast of one.  Schlabach does indeed carry it all the way to its end, in the process re-enacting who Grendel's mother has been, what she became, what she now desires, and more, what might follow.  Her status as a mythological creature, as a monster (at least in some eyes) has everything and nothing to do with all these revelations.  The performer faces a serious challenge, and in the case threads those needles straight into our hearts.  Well, my heart at least.  I doubt I am alone in that. 

Feast runs Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 5pm until April 6, 2025, at The Count’s Den, 1039 S. Olive Street, Los Angeles CA 90015.