Babette’s Feast
Babette’s Feast. Directed by Jeany Van Meltebeke, Fire Exit Theatre, 15 Dec. 2019, Engineered Air Theatre, Calgary.
Babette’s Feast tells the story of two sisters who had so much beauty and talent that they enchanted great men, but who were compelled to stay unmarried in the same small town where they grew up because of their devotion to their Father’s religious order. Once the sisters have grown old and lost the chance for romance or adventure their devotion to good works and charity compel them to take in a French refugee. Initially they rescue her, but as the story unfolds, it is Babette - the world renowned Chef -who teaches them the power of creativity, generosity and passion to heal a broken village. Babette’s Feast is a sweet and simple story that continues to capture cultural imagination, as evidenced by its adaptation into a movie as well as a play.
What struck me about Babette’s Feast is that it gently challenges the cultural understanding of what it looks like to live a life in service to God. The contrast of the two old sisters with the fiery Frenchwoman Babette reveals two distinct ways of offering devotion. The sisters let their earthly passions die, not thinking of themselves or personal satisfaction. Babette - equally blessed with a great talent, hones that skill and rises to the top of the French culinary world. Even as a refugee she blesses a village with her excellent cooking and passion for fresh ingredients. In a stunning example of Psalm 85:10 in which “Mercy and truth have met together;
Righteousness and peace have kissed.” Babette’s love for food and cooking culminates in her spending an entire fortune making one extravagant meal, a masterpiece that goes unrecognized by those invited to enjoy it. The “truth” of the old sisters comes up against the “grace” of Babette and they are both better for the meeting.
While the story shows a deep contrast in how life can be lived, it does not condemn either choice. There is no warning against sacrificing your passions on the altar of “good deeds and service” as the sisters did, nor does it accuse Babette of ambition or pride for her choice to live as a great artist. Instead, the feast that Babette puts on is a small reflection of that great feast the old sisters are so looking forward to - a picture of hope for both the passionate creative and the sacrificial sisters, “Babette’s Feast” reveals the Kingdom of God as the place where all will be restored. In the Kingdom no talents will be wasted, no love will be lost, and no feast will go unappreciated.