This is a review of The Fall of Heaven by Walter Mosley.
I saw The Fall of Heaven at the St. Louis Repertory theater and enjoyed it. Having never heard of Walter Mosley, I was unsure what to expect, but from the opening scene of a bustling metropolis to the ending scene of chaos and decisions, I was mesmerized.
The play follows the lead character of Tempest as he dies and appears in front of St. Peter at the gates of heaven. The problem is that Tempest doesn’t follow the rules like everyone else who is dead after St. Peter tells him to go to hell. The secret is that Tempest exercises his free will and is put back on earth.
At this point, Joshua the angel is dispatched to bring Tempest back into the fold and accept this damnation. This is where the play really gets going. Joshua begins as an agel so convinced that Tempest must accept his fate he is pained when Tempest turns his back. By the end of the play, Joshua is more of a man than an anehl and Tempest has taught the devil about free will.
What I enjoyed about the play:
- The thought that we all exercise our free will at all times.
- The social compacts we all accept in our daily lives.
- The subtle transformation of Tempest.
I didn’t expect much going into the play, but The Fall of Heaven was enjoyable and thought provoking.
