‘Evergreen’ Puts the Focus on Faith

“Evergreen” is a very seasonal affair. This new play by Suthern Hayes tries to remind audiences that Christmas should be about religious faith, not Santa.

The themes are undeniably evangelical, with at least two scenes centered on prayer--not altogether surprising considering the Taber Theatre is adjacent to the Toluca Lake United Methodist Church.

The Toluca Lake Players have made due with very little, performing in a meeting hall flooded with high-key lights, their set framed by boxes. This is the attic where elderly Frances (Miriam Reed) has holed herself up without food. Her slow suicide is interrupted when her son Danny (Frederic Rooney) arrives with his own family crisis. Whatever drama the play might have, though, is undermined by the characters resolve to put the reins in God’s hands.

The slight plot is disrupted by nine songs of the contemporary Christian vein written by Hayes, Heidi Hester and Angela Ramey. The melodies are generally uninspired and get no help from the synthesizer-recorded music or the painfully weak voices of most of the cast. The only musical theater voice belongs to Steven Connor, who plays Paul, a gardener who makes mysterious appearances.

* “Evergreen,” Taber Theatre, 4301 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Toluca Lake. Fridays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. Ends Dec. 21. $12. (818) 508-7084. Running time: 2 hours.