As the curtains parted on The Pilgrim’s Progress at the Museum of the Bible’s World Stage Theater Thursday night, the darkness, eerie lighting, and sounds of rain and thunder that opened the production echoed the thunderstorms outside. The outer storms vividly mirrored the torment of Pilgrim (Jesse Gould), who appears on stage physically struggling under the weight of a heavy burden on his back and emotionally wrestling with the decision to flee from his hometown, which he has been warned is destined for destruction. Despite his agony when his wife (Olivia Singleton) and children (Benji Hawley and William Singleton) refuse to join him, Pilgrim runs out into the rainy night, leaving all that he knows behind. The outer manifestations of inner struggles, however, will follow him throughout his journey.
Presented by the Academy of Arts Logos Theatre, The Pilgrim’s Progress was adapted from John Bunyan’s 17-century allegory by Kathryn Venegas, a master’s student in the Academy of Arts’ Conservatory program. It premiered at the Logos Theatre’s home venue in Taylors, South Carolina, in spring 2023 before going on tour. Directed by Nicole Stratton (the Academy of Arts’ artistic director), Venegas’ adaptation streamlines Bunyan’s sprawling allegory into two acts and two hours, performed by an ensemble cast of 30. (In a welcome 21st-century update, the Logos Theatre casts women in some of the originally nearly all-male roles.)
In keeping with Bunyan’s allegory, and with the European theatrical tradition of morality plays (a precursor to The Pilgrim’s Progress), most of the cast members play characters personifying virtues or vices, as indicated by their names. Most serve either to aid or thwart Pilgrim in his journey toward the Celestial City, the destination described by Evangelist (Berend Sandersfeld) early in the play. While Christian symbolism is present in the Logos Theatre’s earlier touring productions at the World Stage Theater (The Horse and His Boy in 2023 and Prince Caspian last spring), in The Pilgrim’s Progress it is front and center. Christian viewers (who undoubtedly composed the majority of the audience on opening night) will be most familiar with and stirred by the numerous biblical references, both in symbolism, allusions, and direct quotations. Yet the tale, and Logos Theatre’s adaptation of it, also contains broader resonance as a vivid example of the hero’s journey or monomyth — as seen in many stories across times and cultures.
Viewed through this lens, Evangelist (a name and role fraught with baggage in the 21st century) becomes the messenger calling Pilgrim to the adventure of his life. When Pilgrim encounters the cross in the first act, his burden (and the accusers that have been hounding him) fall away. He receives the new name of Christian, and he is given white robes to cover his shabby brown tunic and breeches (costume design by Lucy Parker), which powerfully evokes both Christian conversion and the crossing of the threshold into a new stage of adventure. For Pilgrim (now Christian), this is not the end but merely the beginning, as he has a long journey — and many trials — yet ahead of him.
The technical aspects of the production blend beautifully to bring these trials to life. In addition to playing the title role, Gould doubles as the set designer. Elements such as stepping stones, a tree, and an archway perform multiple functions along Pilgrim/Christian’s journey. Gauzy hangings (evocative of Spanish moss) in the swampy Slough of Despond and the heavy chains draping from the ceiling in Giant Despair’s gloomy castle blend with Sam Singleton’s lighting design and Logos Theatre’s original soundtrack (Caleb Smedra and Olivia Singleton) and sound design (Olivia Singleton and Kathryn Popkin) to create terrifying scenes of cinematic quality. Projections on the left and right walls of the World Stage Theater (Joe Hainsworth and Jeremiah Gould) extend the scenery off the stage and immerse audiences in the world of the play.
No hero’s journey would be complete without villains, and the villains in The Pilgrim’s Progress are perhaps the most skillfully devised aspect of the play. The demonic creature Apollyon, clad in 3D-printed mask and armor and huge clawed batwings, and the hulking Giant Despair are the stuff of nightmares. Logos Theatre’s puppetry team, led by Justin Swain, transforms Charlie Belk into both roles. One might note that the crusader-like armor worn by Christian to defend himself against these attackers resembles religious imagery carried by some of the U.S. Capitol rioters on January 6, 2021, just blocks from the World Stage Theater. Yet Christian’s struggle is personal, not political, and he uses his sword and shield only against his own demons.
Before the show opened, Academy of Arts Executive Director Noah Stratton encouraged the audience that “while we live so much of our lives on screens these days, this is a live theater production. If you want to laugh, laugh. If you want to cry or shout amen, that’s okay too.” In an age where we live so much of our lives on screens, and fight so many of our battles in our own heads, The Logos Theatre’s production of The Pilgrim’s Progress is an immersive, embodied reminder of the power of live theater to inspire us all to keep going in our own journeys — and to lend one another a helping hand along the way.
Running Time: Approximately two hours, including a 15-minute intermission.
The Pilgrim’s Progress plays through October 6, 2024, presented by The Academy of Arts Logos Theatre, performing at the World Stage Theater on the fifth and sixth floors of the Museum of the Bible, 400 4th Street SW, Washington, DC. Tickets ($54–$89) are available for purchase online, at the Museum, or by calling (866) 430-MOTB.
PRINCIPAL CAST
Pilgrim/Christian: Jesse Gould
Evangelist: Berend Sandersfeld
Faithful: Noah Stratton
Hopeful: Daphne Fortain
ENSEMBLE CAST
Pilgrim’s Wife, Angel 2: Olivia Singleton
Lady Sensuality: Allison James
Worldly Wise: Harrison Winkley
Apollyon, Giant Despair, Legality Henchman: Charlie Belk
Legality Henchman, Watchful, Hawker 5: Joe Butler
Sloth, Lord Hate-Good: Jonathan Barrows
Hypocrisy, Hawker 1: Caleb Mann
Help, Biblical Guard: Sam Singleton
Obstinate, Formalist, Biblical Father: Jonathan Overstreet
Townsperson 3, Angel: Micah Brewster
Legality, Biblical Guard, Bailiff, Townsperson 1: Ben Pilgrim
Discretion: Hope Barr
Pliable, Presumption: Asa Gueck
Prudence, Townsperson 2: Kristen Goodfellow
Talkative, Hawker 4: Jennifer James/Mary Beth Lamas (split role)
Simple, Hawker 3: Naomi Swain
Charity: Alice Johnson
Mistrust, Angel 3: Virginia Hawley
Child 1: Benji Hawley
Child 2: William Singleton
Piety: Esther Hawley
Timorous: Katrina McMindes
Hawker 2: Crystal Gueck
Townspeople: Allison James, Virginia Hawley, Alice Johnson, Ben Pilgrim, Caleb Mann, Jonathan Barrows, Joe Butler, Esther Hawley, Daphne Fortain, Mary Beth Lamas, Jennifer James, Crystal Gueck
Whisperers: Allison James, Virginia Hawley, Alice Johnson, Naomi Swain, Kristen Goodfellow, Daphne Fortain, Katrina McMindes, Brooklyn Guerrero, Bethany Guerrero, Crystal Gueck
Vanity Fairgoers: Sam Singleton, Micah Brewster, Asa Gueck, Kristen Goodfellow
Vanity Fair Dancers: Bethany Guerrero, Brooklyn Guerrero, Alice Johnson
PRODUCTION TEAM
Director: Nicole Stratton
Adapted for Stage: Kathryn Venegas
Set Design: Jesse Gould
Choreographer: Gracie Gould
Costume Design: Lucy Parker
Makeup Design: Rachel Sorgius, Emily Kolchin
Lighting Design: Sam Singleton
Original Soundtrack: Caleb Smedra, Olivia Singleton
Orchestrations: David Shipps, Caleb Smedra
Sound Design: Olivia Singleton, Kathryn Popkin
Prop Design: Kayla Goodfellow
Marketing: Jennifer Swain, Allison James
Graphic Design: Liz Preston, Jeremiah Gould
Visual Effects: Joe Hainsworth, Jeremiah Gould
Media: Jennifer James, Ben Maciejack, Joe Butler, Matt Hainsworth, Naomi Swain, Ariel Hopkins
Puppetry: Justin Swain, Jesse Gould, Zak Minor
TECHNICAL CREW
Stage Manager: Olivia Singleton
Costumes Manager: Katrina McMindes
Makeup Manager: Hope Barr
Lighting Technician: Nicole Murphy
Mics: Ashley Hallam
Sound/Puppet Voice Technician: Abigail Barrows
Prop Manager: Naomi Swain
SEE ALSO:
Live theater returns to a gem of a venue at the Museum of the Bible (interview feature by John Stoltenberg, January 19, 2023)