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Utah playwright Tim Slover is an alchemist with words, eloquently breathing life into pasteboard historical characters such as Queen Elizabeth I, composer George Frideric Handel and statesman Alexander Hamilton. Under the transforming power of his pen, these characters jump off the page and become completely human.

The latest historical figure to benefit from Slover's scrutiny is St. Hildegard of Bingen, a 12th-century Benedictine nun and mystic. In addition to religious texts, she wrote countless essays on medicinal herbs and healing as well as musical compositions. But Hildegard's chief claim to fame was her vivid visions, which attracted even Pope Eugenius' attention.

Hildegard and the creation of her most famous work, "Ordo Virtutum (The Play of the Virtues)," are the subjects of Slover's remarkable play "Virtue," receiving its premiere from Plan-B Theatre Company. The play is set in 1146; Hildegard's (Christy Summerhays) life takes a dramatic new turn when a young noblewoman comes to St. Disabod's monastery to atone for an unnamed sin.

Her name is Richardis (Emilie Starr), but Hildegard greets her as Anima, "the utterly beautiful, hopeless wayward soul" she recognizes from her initial vision of "Ordo Virtutum." The soul is locked in battle with the devil; a group of women, the Virtues, come to her assistance. "Ordo Virtutum," an intriguing fusion of morality play and opera, acquires allegorical overtones for Richardis.

She becomes directly involved because Volmar (S.A. Rogers), Hildegard's devoted scribe and confessor, cannot transcribe music, and Richardis can. The two women form a close bond, intensified because — unlike Volmar — Richardis shares the religious fervor of Hildegard's visions, "the sweetness of the Holy Spirit." The exact nature of their relationship remains unknown, but it has a powerful effect on Hildegard, who has only ever been intimate with God. "May God curse me if anything but death part you from me," she tells Richardis. "I don't pretend to understand. I only know that a hollowness I never knew I had is now filled."

"Virtue" turns on the tension between personal revelation and the written word that forms the basis of church belief; how the two intersect has been debated by the Catholic Church for centuries and surfaced again as recently as the Second Vatican Council during the 1960s. "I love the Bible. I love the works of the holy fathers," Hildegard tells Volmar. "But I choose my own experience with the Light over either of them. I know God is with me."

That certainty eventually puts Hildegard at odds with Volmar and the play's fourth character, the pragmatic and opportunistic Abbot Cuno (Jay Perry). Volmar says the abbot "hasn't a shred of spirituality," but ironically it's his wily practicality that allows the monastery to survive.

These characters connect and collide in touchingly human ways, and the actors expertly capture their complexity and struggle to reconcile their faith with individual desires and needs. Each actor fully explores the nuances and contradictions of the bottomless characters Slover has created.

Director Jerry Rapier has wisely configured the Studio Theatre so the set runs lengthwise, and the larger space lets the action literally flow from scene to scene. Seating on both sides immerses the audience in what's happening. Often all four actors occupy the space simultaneously, and Jesse Portillo's golden area lighting, which conveys the warmth of candlelight, focuses our attention.

Thomas George's spare set is framed by the stone walls of the monastery's chapel with a double effect: The characters are enclosed in community, apart from the world, but it also looks like a ruined abbey, lost in time. Phillip Lowe's unadorned costumes suggest the austerity of the period, and the church bells and muted background voices of Cheryl Cluff's sound design capture the rhythmic ritual of monastic lives. David Evanoff's settings for Hildegard's music are hauntingly simple.

"Virtue" is a stunning portrait of an extraordinary woman and the love, both human and divine, that shaped her life. Through this three-dimensional production, the power of that love transcends time and becomes a gift to us. May we use it faithfully in these fragmented and fractured times. —

'Virtue'

The deeply human performances and effortless direction of this consummate production give Hildegard's inspired story weight and relevance in our troubled world.

When • Reviewed on Feb. 16; plays Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 4 and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m., through Feb. 26.

Where • Studio Theatre at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, 138 W. Broadway, Salt Lake City

Tickets • $20, $10 for students; 801-355-ARTS or planbtheatre.org

Running time • Two hours (including an intermission)

Wait list • A prepaid wait list begins one hour before show time in the Rose Wagner box office. Patrons must be present to be added to the list. Full refunds will be given to those not seated for the performance.