Thought-Provoking Drama: ‘Blood of the Lamb’
Writers like Octavia E. Butler and Margaret Atwood often resist the label of prophet. Their fictional works may seem to predict the future. This is because they observe current or past trends and imagine how they could unfold.
This approach is evident in Arlene Hutton’s play, “Blood of the Lamb.” The play, a compact thriller about reproductive rights, is premiering in Chicago with Promethean Theatre Ensemble, directed by Anna C. Bahow. Hutton calls her play speculative fiction. She wrote the first draft several months before the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that overturned Roe v. Wade.
Four years later, “Blood of the Lamb” captures the chaos and legal uncertainty that followed. Unseen male politicians in the play sleep peacefully. Two women face life-threatening consequences from their decisions. The play’s setting is reminiscent of Beckett’s work. It takes place over one long night in a drab airport conference room, designed by Amy C. Gilman in stark whites and grays.
The characters’ names are not revealed until later, suggesting they could be any women. For clarity, they are Nessa and Val. Nessa is a first-time expectant mother whose flight from Los Angeles to New York was diverted to Dallas due to a medical emergency. Val is a middle-aged lawyer with five children, assigned to Nessa’s legal case. Val represents Nessa’s unborn, now deceased, baby.
The play’s premise is arresting and seems plausible given the fetal personhood movement. A fictional Texas law grants citizenship to Nessa’s fetus. With abortion outlawed, Nessa faces a felony charge for leaving Texas to terminate her nonviable pregnancy. If she attempts this, she would face a charge of abuse of a corpse—the corpse in her womb that risks deadly infection.
Promethean Theatre’s production features two alternating casts. Meghann Tabor plays Nessa, while Delia Ford is Val. Kirsten D’Aurelio and Heather Dennis alternate in these roles. Bahow notes that the randomness of the cast is intentional, emphasizing that these women could be anyone.
This anonymity offers dramatic strengths and weaknesses. Hutton and Bahow’s choices create the feel of a dark fable, but limit deep character development. Nessa’s backstory evokes empathy, yet she remains a one-dimensional character. Val starts as a stock conservative Texan but gains depth as a professional in male-dominated areas.
The play benefits from more structural tension and pacing. Initial tension builds as Nessa grapples with her situation, yet few twists follow. Val’s scenes of bureaucratic hurdles illustrate absurdity but can slow the plot. An ambiguous plot development later in the play offers intrigue but could be more impactful.
Overall, “Blood of the Lamb” is intriguing but doesn’t fully capitalize on its premise. Hutton explores gender dynamics in reproductive rights through Val’s role as a mediator. The challenges Val faces reflect legal upheavals, such as Alabama’s 2024 ruling on frozen embryos. While not a prophet, Hutton observes modern society with keen insight.
Critic Emily McClanathan shares her thoughts.
Review: “Blood of the Lamb” (3 stars)
When: Through Oct. 3
Where: The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Running time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Tickets: $35 at 773-697-3830 and prometheantheatre.org