Katie Adducci and Zach Curtis

Charlie, The Whale's central character, is a college writing instructor, teaching strictly on-line courses. Charlie also is morbidly obese, somewhere between 550 and 600 pounds, a condition likely to bring his life to a short end. He is doing nothing to avoid this outcome, but decides that before it is too late, he wants to make a connection with his 17-year-old daughter Ellie, whom he has not seen in the 15 years since he left her mother for Alan, a student with whom Charlie had fallen in love.

The Whale is set in an unnamed city in eastern Idaho, and takes place over the course of several days, with supra-titles identifying the passing of morning to afternoon to evening, and of one day to the next. During this time, Charlie does connect with Ellie, who has grown to be a teenage miscreant whose hatefulness poisons any prospects for friendships and has deeply scarred her relationship with her mother, Mary. Nonetheless, Charlie is determined to bring good to her life before his own is snuffed out, and holds on to the belief that Ellie will blossom and be a force for good in the world.

Charlie's desperation to bond with Ellie intertwines with the complex relationship with his one friend, Liz, who is a nurse and acts as Charlie's flawed caregiver, begging him to seek medical care, yet also bringing him buckets of KFC and meatball sandwiches. Further complicating the passing days is the appearance of Elder Thomas, a young man doing his mission work for the Church of Latter Day Saints, whom Charlie recruits to get to the bottom of events that led to Alan's death. Finally, Charlie faces Mary in a confrontation that, in spite of the ways they have wounded one another, reveals a residue of tenderness.

The image of a whale circulates throughout this work in a student essay on "Moby Dick" that Charlie reads and recites as a mantra over and over: in the revelation that it was a sermon on the biblical story of Jonah and the Whale given by his father, a Mormon minister, that set off Alan's self-destructive spiral; and the obvious image of Charlie encased in hundreds of pounds of fat, the human embodiment of a whale, though one beached on dry land and therefore unable to find sustenance.

Zach Curtis gives a mesmerizing performance as Charlie. Mr. Curtis, an excellent actor seen on many Twin Cities stages, is a large guy who typically plays large-guy parts, but nothing that would prepare one for the first glimpse of Charlie. Wearing a fat suit that totally encases him, Mr. Curtis has mastered the agony of moving, even of breathing, caused by his weight. At the same time, in his manner and voice, he projects kindness and calm, determined that through Ellie he will be able to accomplish one good thing in his life. He pivots from gasps of pain, to the cynical humor with which he addresses his students, to gently coaching Ellie in writing, to drawing up the grief that has been his companion since Alan's death.

As Ellie, Katie Adducci is very convincing as a teenager who is smart and sinister in equal measure. She is able to spout venomous thoughts, showing scorn for everything in her path, yet still leave a ray of light that reveals a need for approval. Zach Garcia is very good as Elder Thomas, whose convictions as a Mormon are increasingly challenged through his contact with both Charlie and Ellie. We see the grip of his faith gradually loosen as his eyes become more questioning, his speech more faltering.

Jennifer Maren gives an effective performance as the co-dependent Liz, who can't help herself from contributing to Charlie's demise, even as she desperately tries to save him. Julie Ann Nevill scores points as Mary, who appears as a dervish of anger, lashing out at Charlie, but is able to still allow his caring to penetrate the emotional wall she has worked hard to build.

Amy Rummenie's direction creates surges of high drama, with calms of reflection, providing respite from the painful circumstances and self-negating choices that burden all five characters. The setting by Steve Kath contributes to the atmosphere of disorder, with objects randomly placed, a procession of litter tossed about which Liz tries in vain to pick up. One can almost smell the stale and sour odor of unchecked illness.

What do we gain from our acquaintance with Charlie and the dysfunctional people that surround him? That there are numerous ways in which people channel pain inward and negate their own existence is hardly a new idea. Yet, Charlie holds firmly to his belief that to do good is possible, perhaps even inevitable. He declares as much in exultation as in dismay. It is impossible for people to not care.

The possibility for hope and redemption makes The Whale a spur to ponder the prospect of good in the face of so much wrong in our lives and in the world, of redemption in spite of a history of bad choices. Not the stuff of festive entertainment, but surely there is a place in the deeper spirit of our holidays for theater that make us think about the values and beliefs that guide our choices.

Performances of The Whale continue at the Mixed Blood Theatre through December 20, 2014. 1501 S. Fourth Street, Minneapolis, MN. Tickets are $22 in advance, $20 seniors, $15 students, $10 Economic Accessibility Tickets, advance sale only. Tickets at the door are $26, $24 seniors. For tickets call 612-675-0300 or go to walkingshadowcompany.org.

Writer: Samuel D. Hunter; Director: Amy Rummenie; Set Designer and Technical Director: Steve Kath; Costume Designer: E. Amy Hill; Lighting Designer: Barry Browning; Sound Designer: Katharine Horowitz; Props Designer: Sarah Salisbury; Rehearsal Stage Manager: Nicole Rodriguez; Performance Stage Manager: Callie Meiners; Production Manager: David Pisa; Assistant Director: Chris Garza; Assistant Stage Manager: Sophenia Marchant.

Cast: Katie Adducci (Ellie), Zach Curtis (Charlie), Zach Garcia (Elder Thomas), Jennifer Maren (Liz), Julie Ann Nevill (Mary).

Photo: Walking Shadow

- Arthur Dorman

Also see the season schedule for the Minneapolis - St. Paul region