Nicaea

I'm a working pastor with a special place in my heart for art like this. Nicaea is theologically transgressive in the best kind of way. Much like other works that fit this bill--Aronofsky's Noah, Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ, or Jim Crace's Quarantine--Aurand's Nicaea plugs into a foundational controversy we religious types think we understand, unspools just enough fiction to wire in the uninitiated, puts an uninsulated cable in our hands and turns on the power. I left the theater in a daze, unsure if what I'd just been caught up in was a desecrating sacrilege or a call to revival. You will miss The Fringe this year if you miss Nicaea. This is art that believes in something--or, at least, that is reaching for something to beli... full review

Thought-provoking, this play of biblical hermeneutics leaves you much to ponder on, Writer Trica Aurand takes you on an intimate and political journey in the life of these men as these seek to craft the future of Christianity and its ability to influence its followers. This philosophical experience left me digesting upon it for days to come. ... full review

I saw this play almost a week ago and haven't stopped thinking about it since. The writing is phenomenal, smart and tense. Kind of like game of thrones meets house of cards with a little bit of 12 angry men. The cast is phenomenal. Especially Meletius, but honestly, no weak members here. And what makes them so great is their ability to spout off dense paragraphs of theology in a way that sounds spontaneous and personal. These characters are smart people, and largely, godless people. Which is why this whole set up is so haunting. There is only one woman in the cast, and she spends most of her time validating and caring for the men. They, meanwhile, argue passionately about which pieces of theology should be cemented into Christianity's or... full review

Great acting of strong-willed, well-written characters will pull you into this religious drama even if you aren't familiar with all the concepts and terminology.... full review

The author has the desire to make canonical history come to life, but the debates are trumped up, there's an unearned rape subplot, and the central issue (was Christ begotten or made, ergo, was he eternal or did he come into existence after the Father) is not made compelling enough. (I saw a preview; there may have been period costumes but at my performance theactors wore generic black modern outfits.). Some of the actors were slow and inaudible. ... full review