Monday, February 9, 2015

Adam and Eve: Dating 101

In his play, Adam and Eve, Mormon playwright Davey Morrison explores the moments immediately following Adam and Eve being expelled from the Garden of Eden. As the play opens Eve sits on a tree stump examining an apple while Adam attempts to gauge her feelings about the fact that the two of them are now expected to multiply and replenish the earth.
The short play is filled with humor as Adam attempts holding hands for the first time, Eve tries to understand her emotions, and the two of them try to determine if they actually love each other or if they are only interested in each other because they're the only two people on planet earth. In short, it resembles the first awkward moments of dating for your average couple.
This play adds humor and personality to the biblical characters of Adam and Eve. Instead of referring to them as the far removed, distant parents of all humanity, it shows them as real people trying to get to know each other as they date and work towards forming a family of their own.
I found the dialogue between the two characters a bit abrupt and choppy, but believable. It showed their youth and ignorance as they navigated this new world. The word choice was a bit more modern than I would have expected from Adam and Eve, but I can understand the author's choice to use modern language in hopes of connecting more with the audience.
The most insightful part of the play for me, however, was how Morrison depicted Adam and Eve's relationship to God. Morrison showed that they missed Him and regretted no longer being in His presence, but Morrison also showed that, though they could no longer see God, He had not left them alone. In the play they say that they can still feel Him with them, which is a key part of Mormon doctrine, the doctrine that God is our Heavenly Father and loves us.

Picture from Pixabay.com

3 comments:

  1. I agree, I don't think the use of modern language/metaphor was a bad thing. For me, it made me realize how incomprehensible Adam and Eve's life probably would be for audiences today; we just don't know the kind of conflict they would have had, or the emotions they would have been experiencing.

    Your review is so thorough and helpful! Great stuff.

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  2. Good review! I liked that it was concise and yet helpful. Your review makes me want to read the play again, even though I found it odd the first time I read it.

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  3. I really enjoyed this play because it was put in a modern context. I thought it portrayed the potential interactions and worries of Adam and Eve in a real and relatable way. I thought your review was very thorough, and I specifically liked how you brought it to the wrap up of how they felt about God. Very good culminating point.

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