Sand Mountain

Kathleen Chalfant (seated) as Lottie Stiles in Sand Mountain Matchmaking produced in 1985 at The Whole Theatre Company

Sand Mountain, based on Linney’s Jesus Tales, a short story collection which is itself based on the apocryphal gospels, is actually composed of two plays: Sand Mountain Matchmaking and Why The Lord Come To Sand Mountain.  The plays can be performed separately or as a set. 

Photograph from The Whole Theatre Company's 1985 production of Sand Mountain Matchmaking with William Hardy as Slate Foley and Kari Jenson as Rebecca Tull.

For example, Why The Lord Come To Sand Mountain is often paired with Linney’s plays The Soul Of A Tree and Just Folks. Why The Lord Come To Sand Mountain often received mixed reviews because of Linney’s portrayal of a flawed Jesus.   His characterization of Jesus reflects back to a theme carried through most of his plays where all characters, even the “good” ones, are flawed in some way.