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'Altar Call' passionate and persuasive
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By Jonathan Turner, jturner@qconline.com
By Jonathan Turner, jturner@qconline.com
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Melissa McBain's "Altar Call" is an intense, thought-provoking play that raises complicated, often uncomfortable, issues of sexuality, religion, faith and family. The District Theatre's current production presents the people that wrestle in this thicket with sensitive, compassionate and powerful performances. Maggie Stone (played by an outstanding Angela Rathman), a 40-year-old minister's daughter, is trapped by a mix of the needs of her gay son, the demands of her Baptist father's church, and the desires of her physician husband. The tense action shifts in a single set between the sacred church and and the secular family dining room, and a story of hypocrisy and hurt truly explodes in a shattering, incisive second act. Maggie's teenage son, John (Bobby Duncalf) develops an affection for church tenor Matt (Nicholas Waldbusser), who helps teach him to play the piano. Maggie's father, Pastor Silas (Jerry Wolking), is nervous about their relationship, and when he discovers Matt is gay (and is pressured by others in the church), he fires him and suggests he find a church in a larger city, where he won't stand out so much. All the emotional issues of being raised in a church family, with a strict father, and failing to embody her dad's ideals and faith are heart-wrenchingly difficult for Maggie. We feel the acute pain and disappointment of Ms. Rathman as she sees the church's hypocrisy and lack of courage. At one point, she rails against the ridiculousness of what the Bible commands, and pleads for the day when everyone could love one another unconditionally and God would do the same. Maggie also has to deal with an unhinged husband, a smug obstetrician who tires of his job and wants to quit, and who urges his wife to leave school and get a real job. "I don't need a feminist; I need a wife," wailed Patrick Gimm, as Dr. Alan Stone. Speaking for many, a rebellious Ms. Rathman bravely dreams of "the courage to say no -- to our husbands, our leaders, our pastors." It's a tangled, prison-like web these characters must navigate, and Mr. Wolking is stellar in one of the most challenging roles. He's a supremely confident pastor, and speaks with earth-shaking authority, but his most basic beliefs are being tested -- acceptance, forgiveness, helping the disenfranchised. "What would Jesus do?," indeed. Playwright Ms. McBain, a former Quad-Cities resident, interestingly and wisely frames this character not simply as an arrogant, unbending man of rectitude; we can see the goodness and conflict in Mr. Wolking. Michael Carron gives an impassioned, thunderous performance as an offended parishioner threatening to withdraw his financial support if the church condones this "deviant" behavior. We can relate to the frustration suffered by the characters played by Mr. Gimm, Mr. Duncalf and Mr. Waldbusser -- who is particularly poignant. Liz Blackwell is strong as Maggie's mother, but occasionally stumbled on lines in the opening-night show I saw. Next to Mr. Wolking, she almost seems old enough to play his mother instead of his wife, but then all theater requires some suspension of disbelief. The biting, bitter play -- which argues persuasively for tolerance and understanding -- continues at the District Theatre, 1611 2nd Ave., Rock Island, at 8 p.m. today through Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $15; call (309) 235-1654 or send email to tristan@districttheatre.com. 
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Today is Friday, May 24, the 144th day of 2013. There are 221 days left in the year.
1863 -- 150 years ago: A military escort will be at the square at 9 a.m. tomorrow forthe funeral of Lieut. Joseph Eaton. The county judge is absent in Chicago, which willaccount for his not being in the procession.
1888 -- 125 years ago: Rock Island's City Council last night appropriated $95,000 forexpenses for the 1888 and 1889 fiscal year.
1913 -- 100 years ago: Mrs. F.W. Reimers last night was re-elected president of the RockIsland Musical Club at a meeting in the New Harper Hotel.
1938 -- 75 years ago: Seven members of Boy Scout Troop 21 got their Eagle badges lastnight. They were Ralph Hurt, Robert Nelson, Howard Schersten, Cecil Nelson, RobertFryxell, Clarence Stone and Rollin Hurt.
1963 -- 50 years ago: Mayor Morris Muhleman has resorted to a form letter in an effort toanswer objections to the wheel tax increase. "It was my hope that I could, in some way,restore the faith of the citizens in our city. In order to do this I knew I must face the factthat I would become very unpopular."All they are trying to do is protect the citizensproperty and build their town.
1988 -- 25 years ago: RICCA, the Rock Island County Council on Addictions, inconjunction with the Quad City Downs, will hold its annual "Night at the Races" June 2.The benefit "Night at the Races" will raise funds locally to assist in maintaining the twohalfway houses, New Hope Lodge (for women) and Beacon House (for men).
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