The Fallen

By: Darryl Reilly

“You need what I used to be, and that Papa ain’t coming back again” says a disaffected rancher to his adult daughter in playwright Rita Lewis’ enthralling American Old West drama The Fallen. Its simple and aching humanness recall the works of Horton Foote.

In 1867 late at night on a Colorado prairie middle-aged Joseph Adams drinks whiskey around a campfire. He was put on trial for shooting his wife to death for later explained reasons. After the jury reached a hung verdict, he went off to live in the wilderness.

His solitude is interrupted by the appearance of 17-year-old and seven months pregnant Lily Nash who has run away from home. She was raped by a man she met at a church dance. Her fanatical preacher father recently tracked down the rapist and now contrives for them to get married for the sake of appearances. Lilly’s mother instigates her escape from this horrific fate.

This interaction is the lynchpin of Ms. Lewis’ rousing and affective tale. It is comprised of terse scenes spanning 17 years leading to a fulfilling conclusion in less than 90 minutes. Lewis’ supreme command of dramatic writing is evidenced by her fully dimensional characters, lyrical dialogue, focused plotting, and authentic sense of the era. The Fallen is remarkable Americana that has been given a ravishing production with a glorious cast.

Markedly conveying weariness and resignation through his magnetic stage presence, weathered John Sarno as Joseph Adams effortlessly veers from sardonic to heroic and is towering. Vivacious Jessica Luhmann as Lily supremely shifts from sunny girlishness to the loss of innocence to plucky maturity. Ms. Luhmann truly offers a depiction of a life’s journey with her majestic performance. Sarno and Luhmann’s rapport is intense yet playful and integral.

Lean, wiry, and steely Max Avery Lichtenstein brings depth to the role of the malevolent father with his fiery turn. Mr. Lichtenstein humanly conveys the logic of his character’s dastardly machinations; he makes the unsympathetic seem almost sympathetic. With old-time character actress verve, luminous Chelsea Clark is haunting as the preacher’s downtrodden wife and Lily’s protective mother. Ms. Clark with her wide eyes and expressive voice forcefully suggests the pitiful plight of women at that time.

The animated Gabriella Russo movingly is simultaneously feisty and tender as Joseph Adam’s loving daughter. The beaming, physically lithe, and sensual Nathan Cusson’s complex characterization of Lily’s rapist strikingly captures the blunt and deplorable common masculine mindset of the 19th century. Personally youthful Cameron Parker with his lively boyishness is delightful as a pivotal teenager.

Flashes of Ennio Morricone, Elmer Bernstein, and the Bonanza theme are among the energetic musical snippets heard during scene transitions. This is a hallmark Ken Wolf’s soaring sound design. Mr. Wolf is the auteurist mastermind behind this vivid presentation. His atmospheric lighting design veers from muted brightness to shimmering dimness all conjuring the period.

The show opens with a character sitting on a small bench in semi-darkness. Then Wolf’s ingenious scenic design is revealed. Leaves adorn the walls, there is an artful reproduction of a tree, a dining room table, chairs, and a door in a frame, all serve to swiftly connote various locations.

The contained Off-Broadway stage has no wings, so director Wolf’s grand physical staging has the actors briskly entering and exiting through the auditorium’s aisle; there are breathtaking action sequences throughout as momentum mounts. Choreographer Masha Vysotska’s curtain call dance sequence is euphoric.

The Fallen is the great American play one yearns for; it has been beautifully brought to the stage.

The Fallen (through October 25, 2026)
Manhattan Repertory Theatre
Chain Theatre, 312 West 36th Street in Manhattan
For tickets, visit www.manhattanrep.com
Running time: 85 minutes with no intermission