“Set in the opulent yet perilous Persian Empire, QUEEN ESTHER is a captivating tale of beauty and bravery.” Thus declares the official website for Sight & Sound Theatres in Lancaster, Pennsylvania as they promote their newest show: Queen Esther.
Today is “Fiction Friday.” That means this blog will, on most Fridays, feature a review of a novel, film, or (in this case) a play. Since I’m not really a theater aficionado, it will be rare that I review plays. But Queen Esther is worth this review — and, if you are able, it’s worth checking out.
My wife and I traveled to Lancaster, PA this past Saturday for a quick getaway. This has been a busy and challenging year, and we hadn’t been able to take our annual vacation. So we decided a getaway was in order.
We traveled up to Lancaster, PA on Saturday, enjoyed the beauty of the rolling hills, lush farmland, and rich character of Amish Country. We did some shopping at the outlets, a brief (but rained-out) visit to ZooAmerica, and a trip to Chocolate World. But the highlight of our 4-day excursion was seeing Queen Esther.
On the final day of our 4-day getaway, Jane and I headed to Lancaster’s Sight & Sound Theatre, which is already beautifully decorated for Christmas. This was our fourth time taking in a show at Sight & Sound.
Over the last few years, we’ve been blessed to see Jonah, Samson, and Jesus. Jane and I both agreed that Queen Esther was their best yet.
Obviously, the central character of Jesus ranks above any other biblical figure Sight & Sound has featured or will feature in the future, but just weighing the various productions as plays, Queen Esther ranks at the top.
That said, it is worth noting that Queen Esther does have an advantage over the other Sight & Sound productions we’ve seen (except for Jesus). Let’s be real. It’s hard for some to embrace the deeply flawed Samson or the bitter Jonah as heroes.
Not so Esther (also known as Hadassah). Not only the Esther played beautifully by actress Jessica Brown but (more importantly) the actual Esther in history. She is truly one of the most remarkable individuals in the Bible.
One might wonder why I’m talking about Queen Esther on “Fiction Friday.” Well, the answer is simple: Queen Esther is indeed based on a real person, but it’s squarely in the genre of historical fiction.
Anytime we read a novel, watch a movie, or enjoy a play about characters in the Bible, we are experiencing an imagined, fictional depiction of those real-life characters and events.
The setting for Queen Esther is of course found in the biblical book of Esther. Those familiar with the biblical account know Esther’s story begins with a drunken Persian king (known as “Ahasuerus” in the Bible, but as “Xerxes” in history and in Queen Esther) divorcing and exiling his wife Vashti because she refused his summons to a party.
A beauty contest is organized to find a new queen for the king. Hadassah (who begins to go by the name of Esther) is swept into that contest and ultimately rises to the top, becoming the king’s favorite. Both the play and the Bible make clear that for all his faults (and there were many) the king genuinely loved Esther. She is named queen of the Persian Empire.
As both history and Queen Esther make clear, Xerxes (or, Ahaseurus as the Bible calls him) was often emotionally unstable and paranoid. And he was not an altogether successful ruler. Queen Esther reminds us that Esther’s story takes place in the context of Xerxes’ failed attempt to conquer Greece.
Eventually, of course, Esther is able to save her people from a barbaric massacre orchestrated by the wicked Hamon — apparent confirmation of Mordecai’s entreaty that she was providentially placed at the king’s side “for such a time as this.”
The production team at Sight & Sound does an admirable job staying true to the scriptural account of Esther’s story. Nevertheless, they have no choice but to exercise some creative license in filling in the gaps and fleshing out the characters in order to bring them to life.
One liberty they take was the choice to give Hadassah a life verse, specifically Psalm 46:10 which includes the divine exhortation: “Be still and know that I am God.” There is no biblical or archeological record of Hadassah ever quoting that passage.
In fact, God is not mentioned at all in the biblical book of Esther. Of course, we see God’s providential Hand all through the book, but the book itself never mentions His name.
This in contrast with Queen Esther, which mentions God all throughout the performance.
I’m certainly not criticizing the makers of Queen Esther for this decision, but it’s noteworthy that the play is far more explicit about God and faith than the book upon which it is based.
The play soars in both inspiration and production quality. The acting, music, special effects, live animals, and beautiful sets are all magnificent — especially the sets.
Nevertheless, as I watched the play (as wonderful as it was), I couldn’t help but reflect on the real-life Esther. How many men or women of faith today would be able to endure half of what the real-life Esther did?
Queen Esther does its best to dress up Esther’s story as an inspirational romance — reminiscent as my wife said of a Hallmark movie — but the gritty world Esther lived in was not always glamorous.
It’s difficult for people today to comprehend or grapple with the harsh and often degrading realities of the ancient world — a world that included slavery, harems, and officials losing their lives at the angry whim of a despot. And, in general, a considerable amount of brutality and violence.
Yet this was the day-to-day reality of the ancient world. (It’s still the reality in parts of our world today).
And it was the world in which Esther had to live.
And it was the world in which she had to marry (and please) a vain, unstable, and capricious husband who happened to hold absolute power (at least humanly speaking) over her very life.
Not exactly the kind of “love story” many women would voluntarily sign up for today.
Nor was it a story that Esther herself voluntarily signed up for — certainly not at first. The biblical account indicates she ultimately accepts her circumstance and calling, but this should deepen our appreciation for what she experienced.
It must be remembered that Hadassah/Esther had to step out of the traditional (and relatively secure) culture of her Jewish upbringing and leave behind any hopes or dreams of becoming a conventional wife in a Jewish family.
Instead of the future she undoubtedly imagined growing up, Hadassah/Esther was compelled to marry (and, again, please) a rather temperamental, generally amoral and ungodly, despot.
Let there be no doubt: The real-life Hadassah/Esther endured a lot, gave up a lot, and risked a lot.
She is worthy of our esteem, respect, and admiration.
According to the Sight & Sound website, Esther will run in Lancaster through 2021, before heading to Branson.
Sight & Sound is operating under a limited seating capacity due to Covid-19, and masks are required (except while eating).
