Our text today, sisters and brothers, is from Genesis 4: the story of humanity’s first murder. Adam and Eve’s elder son, Cain, was a farmer and their younger one, Abel, a shepherd. Both brought offerings to God, but when He rejected Cain’s offering, Cain became angry. Unable to kill God, he killed Abel instead.
Needless to say, Adam isn’t the same after that. In his despondency he lets both the farm and his boys grow wild. If not for Lee, the family’s Chinese houseman and default Eve, all would be lost. Fair-haired Aron matures into a sweet-natured naif. Caleb is cunning and fierce. Serial doter that he is, Adam prefers Aron.
Oddly, Steinbeck’s novel suggests a solution by employing a narrator—a conceit that, onstage, might allow for more freedom within scenes. Though Galati makes gestures in that direction, he doesn’t try it full out.
Through 11/15: Thu-Fri 7:30 PM, Sat 3 and 7:30 PM, Sun 3 PM, Tue-Wed 7:30 PM Steppenwolf Theatre 1650 N. Halsted 312-335-1650steppenwolf.org $20-$89
