Idaho playwright Samuel D. Hunter tackles gay conversion therapy in his expectations-defying, cliché-free 2014 drama A Great Wilderness, the riveting latest from Rogue Machine Theatre.

John Perrin Flynn takes center stage as Walt, who’s spent decades counseling troubled boys at his Idaho wilderness retreat, aided by married counselors Tim (Tony Pasqualini) and Abby (Rachel Sorsa).

The years have, however, taken their toll on both Walt and his mission. Last summer only four boys came seeking help, Walt’s memory is beginning to fail him, and a recent fall might proven fatal had forest ranger Janet (Tanya Verafield) not arrived in time.

For all these reason, Tim and Amy have convinced (coerced?) Walt to move into an assisted living facility, a move Walt has now postponed, at least for the next several weeks, as he counsels Daniel (Jeffrey Delfin), caught watching online gay porn and dispatched posthaste by his conservative Christian parents to Walt’s cabin in the woods in hopes of praying away the gay.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Daniel arrives full of trepidations, though Walt quickly assures him that they’ll only be talking, reading scripture, going on hikes, praying, in other words, getting Daniel back to the person he wants to be, no matter that the teenager isn’t sure that becoming straight is what he really wants.

For now, all Daniel would like is a bit of alone time, and so the city boy sets out on a hike, cautioned by Walt to go no further than the ridge.

Four hours later, Daniel still has not returned.

As Walt, Tim, Abby, and Daniel’s distraught mother Eunice (Jacquelin Lorraine Schofield) await word of Daniel’s whereabouts, playwright Hunter delves into their lives past and present as Walt deals with the realization that not only is his raison d’être about to come to an end, Tim and Abby have no intention of taking over Walt’s ministry after he’s gone into “the home.”

What has propelled the three counselors to pursue this particular life mission? Have they been able to bring about real change in the boys they’ve counseled? And what will become of Walt once he’s lost his purpose in life?

Playwright Hunter provides no easy answer to any of these questions, nor does he demonize characters often deemed the enemy by conversion therapy survivors.

Not only that, but Hunter keeps surprising you, and keeps you guessing, all the way up to the bitter end.

Director Elina de Santos elicits powerhouse, deeply felt performances from her entire cast, in particular from Flynn, who delivers a compelling, multi-shaded star turn as a man raging against the ravages of time.

Sorsa is absolutely stunning as a woman agonized by the thought that she may have failed at both motherhood and life, and Schofield digs deep into the emotions of a parent who may not have done all she could for her beloved child.

Pasqualini and Verafield provide terrific support every step of the way as a man confronting societal changes he despises and a hard-edged but tender-hearted woman of the wilderness, and queer Filipino newcomer Delfin does touching work as a boy on the cusp of manhood who’s still got a long way to go.

The Matrix Theatre’s ultrawide stage allows scenic designer Bruce Goodrich to create an expansive, woodsy cabin complete with living, dining, and kitchen areas, meticulously decorated by property master Jenine MacDonald.

Vickie Scott’s expert lighting design enhances the gradually rising suspense as Chris Moscatiello’s sound design intensifies the cabin’s out-in-the-wilderness isolation, and Elizabeth Cox’s costume, one per character, suit each one to a T.

Rogue Machine’s Southern California Premiere of Samuel D. Hunter’s A Great Wilderness is produced by Guillermo Cienfuegos. Vanessa Hanish is assistant director. Ramón Valdez is stage manager. Rachel Manheimer is production manager. Judith Borne is publicist.

For a while there it seemed that Samuel D. Hunter’s plays were everywhere. But it’s been six long years since Rogue Machine took audiences to Pocatello.

With at least a dozen Sam Hunter plays yet to be produced locally, one can only hope that Rogue Machine Theatre has more of them in store. For now, L.A. audiences can rejoice in the chance to see one of Hunter’s most powerful, moving, and ultimately unforgettable plays the way each and every one of them deserves to be done.

Rogue Machine at the Matrix, 7657 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles. T
www.roguemachinetheatre.com

–Steven Stanley
October 3, 2022
Photos: Alex Neher

Tags: Los Angeles Theater Review, Rogue Machine Theatre, Samuel D. Hunter