Micah, if my bible (Wikipedia) serves me correctly was an old school Old Testament prophet who predicted the collapse of cities under the weight of their own sin.
It is not surprising then, that fretful student Micah (Perry Millward) foresees wrath and vengeance befalling his small mid-western town with the arrival of New York liberal and pregnant singleton Susan as the new science teacher.
After all, the vengeful Deity has already taken His view on Plainview (the name represents both a theological and geological outlook), sending a tornado to fell the town and the townsfolk, including Micah's own step-father.
And sharp-tongued Susan (a colourfully brash Anna Francolini) doesn't help herself. She makes a hole in the wall between church and state with her use of the word "gobbledegook" in relation to matters spiritual and brittle nutjob Micah toys at the breach until everything comes tumbling down.
But not before Gene (Ciaran McIntyre), the deceptive ex-postmaster does his best to bring Susan into the fold with some passive aggressive charm and an effective thesis about the dissonance between faith and ignorance.
Not much progress then, as science and fundamentalism lock (devil's) horns but Catherine Treischmann's gritty nugget of a play does successfully convey the terror of mindless intolerance while unsettling an enlightened audience that was formerly comfortable in its mockery.
– From November 2011
