Amid the larger question of how to improve our nation's health care system exists another important discussion: How should the medical community best use precious, limited organ donations to save seriously ill patients? Playwright Mark St. Germain explores the competition over available organs in his 2004 work The God Committee. On Oct. 31, the Acacia Theatre Company opens its production of this contemporary drama at Concordia University's Todd Wehr Auditorium.
The God Committee, a cross between modern courtroom and medical dramas, boldly tackles serious ethical questions. The story moves rapidly through 90 minutes, without intermission, as characters discuss a real-time decision within the confines of a hospital conference room. In order to capture the intense pressure of the moment, Acacia is setting the production on the apron of the Wehr Auditorium stage. It's an arrangement that director Glenna Gustin hopes will create a more intimate feeling for audiences than a traditional use of the space.
Increased intimacy should aid the drama, as the ensemble production requires each cast member to delve into the personal psyche of these health care professionals.
"One of the biggest challenges for the cast was to explore both the professional and personal sides of the hospital team," Gustin says.
Gustin notes that she's worked heavily with the cast to balance the complexity of portraying people who must handle powerful emotions and life-and-death decisions on a daily basis. "The cast has teased me about how many layers of meaning I can find in a two-word line," Gustin says.
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Along with bringing all of the script's details into sharp focus, Acacia has endeavored to keep the larger themes at the heart of the play. Acacia Artistic Director Janet Peterson says she became particularly interested in the script after a friend passed away while awaiting a heart transplant. The cast spoke with a representative from United Network for Organ Sharing who himself had been the recipient of a heart transplant. Hearing the firsthand experience of someone whose life was saved by a committee similar to the one being brought to the stage will likely add even more emotional depth to what should be a very powerful show.
The God Committee runs through Nov. 9.
