Mormon Drama: Morrison's "Adam and Eve"

Davey Morrison’s Adam and Eve puts a little spin on what came after Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden of Eden. Many people don’t think about Adam and Eve’s reaction, instead, all of the attention is placed on the moment Adam and Eve partook of the fruit.

Morrison give deep thought on how they would’ve reacted during the first few hours after they were driven out. The experience was new for them, so they had to figure everything out on their own. One aspect of life that was new to them was romance. Morrison described the romance between Adam and Eve perfectly. Before being cast out, they didn’t really understand their relationship as they would’ve after partaking of the fruit. For example, when Adam tries to hold Eve’s hand, she doesn’t like it at first, but tells him that it felt good and didn’t know why. That type of connection would feel foreign to them, as they were in a state of innocence in Eden. Adam wants to keep trying that type of affection, as it also feels good to him and he believes it can comfort her.

One thing I found interesting is how Adam wants to get right into fulfilling the next commandment (multiply and replenish the earth), and Eve is hesitant. She wants to figure things out first. I think that sort of comparison is a very humanly trait, especially when it comes to creating families. Both spouses need to be on board in order to have success in their newly-formed family.

Another aspect of Morrison’s story that through me for a loop was how Eve knew what a “pet” was right away. Her understanding the nature of predators wasn’t that shocking, but it was interesting that she immediately wanted a pet, when Adam and Eve were still trying to figure things out.

   

Morrison also added humor into the story, which made it more relatable. Adam and Eve would tease one another in several places (such as the word “apple”, which Eve found to be funny). Morrison’s type of humor that he gives to the couple is similar to the way I tease members of my family, so I found myself laughing throughout the piece.

Adam and Eve is a play that can help people understand what Adam and Eve would have experienced after being driving out of their paradise. It helps us relate to them on a different level.