‘The Mysteries’ of the Bible explored

In medieval Europe, mystery plays were elaborate occasions, co-collaborations of sorts between religious and trade guilds that typically dramatized passages of the Bible. A precursor to modern drama, the mystery cycles had their origin in church ritual and were most often performed in conjunction with religious holidays. Simple and devout, these cycles were geared toward the uneducated masses that formed the bulk of Europe’s population at that time.

That simplicity and devotion are evident in Son of Semele Ensemble’s production of “The Mysteries,” Edward Kemp’s sweeping sampling of the mystery cycles. The reason this company is called an “ensemble” is evident in this tightknit production, which is as focused and fervent as it is ambitious.

Produced for the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1997, Kemp’s approximately five-hour verse play distills a wide cross-section of the Bible, from Genesis to the Passion. The play has been divided into two parts that can be seen on alternate evenings or on the same day with a dinner break.

Part I primarily treats the Old Testament but eventually segues into the Nativity, while Part II encompasses the Passion. Whether that was the way the original production was divided or not is unclear, but Part I’s mingling of Old and New Testaments seems awkward, especially considering that Part II is shorter than Part I and could have neatly accommodated the Nativity in its running time.

Whatever the case, director Michael Nehring and a dedicated cast have done an almost miraculous job of calibrating the intricate demands of Kemp’s text to this tiny stage. Paul R. DeDoes’ set design is white and stark, bristling with white metal pipes and narrow walkways suspended directly above the audience’s seats, which are also swathed in white fabric.

The nimble performers leap on and off walkways and clamber up and down pipes with breathless ease, sometimes only inches away from the audience’s heads.

The set utilizes every spare inch of the theater, opening up what might have seemed a claustrophobic staging into a genuinely innovative one.

The overall tone is appropriately respectful, even reverential. However, before you buy tickets for your church group, be advised. Adam and Eve are initially seen entirely in the buff, while a scene following Christ’s birth -- the affirmation of Mary’s virginity by two doubting midwives -- might seem distasteful to some.

The performers play demanding multiple roles and also contribute rousing choral numbers, ably orchestrated by music director Ryan Poulson. In addition, the actors provide rudimentary percussion and simply voiced sound effect throughout.

Agile and prepossessing, the cast is nonetheless uneven. Diction ranges from the mellifluous to the mush-mouthed, and certain actors seem so emotionally invested in their material that they tend toward the hyperbolic, over-dramatizing when simplicity would have sufficed.

Despite those faults, the sheer sincerity of these players is compelling. Soren Oliver, who plays God in Act I and Judas in Act II, is a standout in terms of sheer acting technique, while Darryl Ordell, who plays Jesus, effectively mingles a touchingly human tenderness with the fiery zeal of a visionary.

Nehring shows great ingenuity throughout this intricate yet smooth staging. Especially noteworthy is the scene in which Christ walks on water -- simulated by billowing blue fabric manipulated to make “waves.”

However, the Crucifixion, reduced here to silhouettes of miniature crosses against a red background, seems a bit pared down and anticlimactic. And in Part I, Nehring should rethink having his performers lying on the floor -- directly in the path of the theater’s single restroom -- as the audience enters. Having women in three-inch heels run an obstacle course between the recumbent performers’ legs is certainly dramatic, but perhaps not in the way Nehring intended.

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‘The Mysteries’

Where: Son of Semele, 3301 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles

When: “Part I: The Creation”: 8 p.m. Fridays, 2 p.m. Sundays; “Part II: The Passion”: 8 p.m. Saturdays, 7 p.m. Sundays

Ends: July 17

Price: $20 per show

Contact: (213) 351-3507, www.sonofsemele.org

Running time: “Part I,” 2 hours, 30 minutes; “Part II,” 2 hours