HYMN
I have to be honest and tell you right upfront that this review might be partially affected by the fact that it was soooo freezing in the Odyssey Theatre on the Opening Night of Hymn that it was very hard to pay as much attention to the play as I always do. I’m pretty sure that the production is good, but my brain was half-frozen the entire time. Seriously, I kept eyeing a blanket that’s part of the set decorations, and wondering if I could run fast enough to grab it off the stage without being seen. (Strangely, that part of the set is never even used, although there are several items on it in addition to the blankets!)
Chuma Gault and Jason Delane. Photo by Cooper Bates, as is the one above.
The basic premise of Hymn, (which is revealed pretty early on in the hour and a half, so I’m not ruining anything for you,) is that a pair of fifty-year-old men discover that they’re half-brothers. They share a recently-deceased *father, but with very different upbringings. And the relationship grows from there. With ancestry-tracing kits being so popular these days, (not that these two sibs used any,) Hymn is a tale for everyone. (I always wish I would find a secret sibling, especially a long-lost twin. No joke.) *[Note: My analytical mind wonders if the title Hymn has a dual meaning. “Hymn,” of course, because the brothers meet in a church after the “legitimate” one has given the eulogy for their father, but also the play on words “him” because their entire newfound kinship is based on him—their sire. Just sayin’. Now I wish I was still in college to write a paper on it!]
Hymn began its life in London five years ago. I love British accents, which these actors—Jason Delane as Benny and Chuma Gault as Gil—do convincingly. But I don’t understand why the action could not have been moved to America for the run here. I’m just about positive that both actors are American, and it could be set anywhere in this country. The characters’ experience is universal. I kept waiting for London to figure into the story, but it never did, so that was a bit distracting. (I’ve since found-out that the play has been performed elsewhere in the States several times, all with the men being American. So now I really wonder why the Odyssey chose to make it unneccesarily British.)
Chuma Gault and Jason Delane. Photo by Cooper Bates.
The show opens with two monologues, and then the action finally gets going when the men meet. In all honesty, I’m not very interested in plays with only two characters, but Jason and Chuma do such a good job that I barely noticed it was a two-hander. And my friend Marc said that when they were talking to unseen characters, (such as a waitress and one’s son,) he totally believed it, so that added some depth.
Both actors are Black, (I can’t say African-American here, in case they are actually British,) so one might assume that the play is about the Black experience. But, I see it as simply a human experience. I feel that Hymn could also be performed by any two people of the same age, preferably around fifty, with no regard to race or gender. However, it’s good the way it is. So just go on the journey with them.
Chuma Gault and Jason Delane in the “Dump and Run Room.” (This just hit me–is there a dramatic reason the actors are always on their one side? I guess I DO have to go back to college to write this paper!) Photo by Cooper Bates.
Hymn is basically a serious play, with several good laughs along the way. My favorite bit of mirth is when the bros are going through boxes containing some of Benny’s nostalgic old items, (such as always-comedic M.C. Hammer pants,) in what I’m assuming is an attic, and Gil labels the area a “dump and run room.” That’s exactly what I’ve turned every room in my house into, so I totally identified. And now I finally have a fun name for what I’ve done to my place! I’ll thank playwright Lolita Chakrabarti for those bon mots every time I go through my own junk treasures.
By the way—Ms. Chakrabarti is the genius who adapted the novel Life of Pi into the gorgeous many-awards-winning play. So on that past success alone, although far from the spectacular production that Life of Pi is, you know that Hymn is a good one.
The entirety of Hymn is performed on one small set, but it manages to demonstrate about a half dozen different locations. Strangely, though, they never use that one area that’s set-up with those aforementioned coveted (by me) blankets, a portable piano, a chair, a stool, and some books. (So I could have borrowed a blanket! Or both.)
The set. Note the folded blankets next to that portable piano and chair on the upper right side. Photo by Karen Salkin.
As short as it is, Hymn would benefit from having about ten minutes cut. There are at least two monologues that could be much briefer or perhaps not there at all. We get the gist of each scene without it getting as wordy as it does. To me, the fun scene in that dump and run room is the only one that should remain totally intact.
But still, the show is a worthwhile one. Just remember to bring a parka!
Hymn running through June 14, 2026
Odyssey Theatre
2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd. WLA
310-477-2055 www.odysseytheatre.com
