A man Never Wrong,
Just Wronged

From the Weds., April 16th, 2003
theater review by Bruce Weber

"The Gospel of John"
Lamb's Theater

THE ARTS/CULTURAL DESK


A critic is on dangerous ground carping about the central character in the one-man show performed by Brad Sherrill, ''The Gospel of John,'' that is being presented at the Lamb's Theater, 130 West 44th Street, through April 20.

But you have to admit that strictly as a literary figure, he's lacking in complexity. A martyr in the making, he's never wrong, just wronged. He always knows best. And he's kind of insufferable about it, always telling everybody what to do, promising eternal life in exchange for complete faith in him and offering only a miracle here and there as proof that he'll hold up his end of the bargain. Not only that, for a guy who's supposed to be so humble, he makes some pretty outrageous declarations: ''I am the bread of life,'' for example. Any good dramaturge would say he needs to be made more sympathetic.

Jesus is not, however, your ordinary stage character, and ''The Gospel of John'' is not your ordinary script. Its text is the fourth book of the New Testament, and employing a work of prose on -- as opposed to merely adapting it for -- the stage is a curious endeavor that is worth investigating whenever it is tried. Of course this particular text is appropriate for Easter Week.

Considering the length of the script (about 20,000 words) and its many repetitions in phrase (''I tell you the truth'') and message (''My teaching is not my own; it comes from him who sent me''), the feat of memorization alone is noteworthy. Mr. Sherrill, an actor from Atlanta, where the show originated, is a poised performer with a subtle physical grace; his smooth re-enactment of the invalid bidden by Jesus to walk is touching because it is underplayed.
This is a famously compelling tale, and Mr. Sherrill's rendition is at the very least instructive and certainly more lively and engaging than a Bible on tape.