A Review of Martin Dockery's

The Holy Land Experience - A Review by Grace Phelan of FABnyc

Last night I had the pleasure of seeing Martin Dockery perform his theatrical monologue The Holy Land Experience at the Kraine Theater on East 4th Street. Dockery, who is no amateur storyteller, takes us on a winding, emotional, and hilarious journey of his travel experiences surrounding a religious theme park in Orlando and a Christmas Day that he spent in Bethlehem.

The pre-show vibe was energetic and lively for a Monday night. Dockery seems to have a small but enthusiastic following of downtown theater-goers who waited eagerly in anticipation for Dockery to appear as electronic, instrumental music played in the background. The lighting and set were simple, yet effective, allowing the audience to focus solely on Dockery’s storytelling. A single wooden chair was placed in the center of the stage where it stayed throughout the remainder of the show.

When Mr.Dockery finally entered he set an informal, conversationalist tone by talking briefly about the chilly weather outside and then announcing that the story that he was about to tell was, in fact, completely true. The honesty of this statement immediately drew the audience in and set him up to be as vulnerable as one can be on a stage. He played himself, he performed solo, and he did not make this stuff up.

As a performer, Martin Dockery is funny, engaging and frank. He doesn’t pretend to be good guy, nor is he really a bad guy, but rather—and perhaps more importantly—he is just a guy. He is a guy who travels, performs, falls in love, breaks hearts, and was raised Catholic. He is also a guy who has terrible trouble being faithful to significant others and consequently does not believe in monogamy. Although revealing this flaw might not make Dockery a likeable character to some, it does make him vulnerable and real, which in the theater world can be even more important than being liked.

The show took us through a series of seemingly disjointed stories that Dockery managed to cleverly connect and stream together. With his wry and quirky sense of humor he rambled and diverged, and the audience was swept along for the ride. We were taken to a Canadian immigration office, a New York apartment, an over-the-top dramatic theme park in Orlando that recreates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, as well as a plane to Jerusalem, and a Christmas in Bethlehem. From the inflection and tone in his voice, to his gesticulations, and tremendously clear focus, Dockery seemed to actively use every bone and muscle in his body able to successfully engage his audience throughout the entire hour.

At its core, however, this is a show about love. Between Dockery’s travels he had a series of affairs, escapades, and long distance relationships that seemed to hold equal importance to the things he saw and experienced on his journeys. The Holy Land Experience unconventionally questioned what it means to be in love, to have adventures, and to explore the magic of Christmas that we thought we had left behind with our childhood.

Ultimately, Dockery took on the spiritual side of love. Although holding tight to cynicism and humor, he showed us his venerable side again, and he left us thinking that he might just be a believer (in something) after all. And after his brave and sincere performance, he has certainly made believers of his audience.

Catch one last chance to see this smart, exhilarating and comic performance at the Kraine Theater on Monday, December 19th. Buy tickets today!