A Place of Many Rivers�combines music, interpretive dance and spoken word to deliver the gospel of hope and new life.� With an overload of inspirational clich�s, you’re in for a sermon in variety show format.� Songwriter Michelle Zerbin delivers easy listening about longing and belonging, pain and deliverance.� A prophetic voice reads out Biblical paraphrases of comfort and hope that left me cold: I felt like this message of love and peace was being shouted at me.� Modern dance fills out the artistic trilogy with depictions of sorrow, wonder and joy.� The show depicts a continuous journey from hopelessness to redemption but lacks artistic unity and was abstract in its presentation.� There were some touching moments, and the cast may become more comfortable with themselves as the festival progresses.

Two out of five stars.