Dystopian authors like Octavia E. Butler and Margaret Atwood often avoid being labeled as prophets. Their fiction feels prescient because they observe trends and project their outcomes. This concept applies to Arlene Hutton’s ‘Blood of the Lamb,’ a concise thriller exploring reproductive rights. Now in its Chicago premiere with Promethean Theatre Ensemble, directed by Anna C. Bahow, the play examines the intricacies of these issues.
Hutton wrote this speculative fiction before the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The narrative reflects the bureaucratic chaos and legal uncertainty emerging afterward. It portrays unseen male lawmakers sleeping soundly while two women deal with the life-threatening repercussions of those men’s decisions. The setting is stark, featuring a nondescript airport conference room, skillfully designed by Amy C. Gilman.
Characters remain unnamed until later, enhancing the feeling that they represent any woman. For clarity, one is Nessa, a first-time mother diverted to Dallas during a medical emergency, and the other is Val, a middle-aged lawyer tasked with handling Nessa’s unprecedented legal case. Val represents Nessa’s unborn, now deceased, baby, rooted in a fictional Texas law granting the fetus citizenship. With abortion banned, Nessa risks a felony if she leaves Texas intending to end her nonviable pregnancy. This scenario reflects the fetal personhood movement’s influence.
Promethean uses two rotating casts. In the performance observed, Meghann Tabor played Nessa, and Delia Ford was Val. On other nights, Heather Dennis and Kirsten D’Aurelio feature in these roles. Director Bahow points out this randomness is intentional, emphasizing these could be any two women. The anonymity has advantages and drawbacks; it evokes a dark fable but limits character depth and emotional connection. Nessa’s life snippets evoke empathy, yet she remains one-dimensional, and Val initially appears as a stereotypical conservative Texan, despite her later complexities as a professional woman in male spaces.
The thriller’s structure and pacing could improve for more impact. Initial tension builds effectively as Nessa grapples with her terrifying situation, but few twists follow to maintain audience engagement. Val’s interactions with bureaucratic absurdities highlight high-stakes situations but occasionally slow the pace. One plot development’s ambiguity intrigues, yet addressing earlier issues could strengthen its effect.
Despite its potential under-realization, ‘Blood of the Lamb’ remains provocative and timely. Hutton examines gender dynamics in reproductive rights, portraying Val as a mediator between powerful men and the women affected. This reflection echoes the Alabama Supreme Court’s 2024 ruling on frozen embryos as children, events post-play’s premiere at the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. While not a prophet, Hutton adeptly observes modern society.
Emily McClanathan is a freelance critic.
Review: ‘Blood of the Lamb’ (3 stars)
When: Through Oct. 3
Where: The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Running time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Tickets: $35 at 773-697-3830 and prometheantheatre.org