How far will powerful men and institutions go to keep their secrets — and who pays the price when they do? Echo Theater Company and Circle X Theatre Co. Join forces to present the world premiere of An Undivided Heart by Yusuf Toropov, directed by Chris Fields at Atwater Village Theatre.

Set in 1992 Massachusetts against the backdrop of the Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal and a toxic drinking water scandal (the latter made famous by the book and film “A Civil Action”), An Undivided Heart is part thriller and part spiritual mystery. A series of otherworldly visions and an unlikely encounter with a Zen priest propel Father Mike Cleary into a collision course with his Archdiocese, while Lynne Callahan, a young widow, struggles to make sense of her life in a town whose water has been polluted with deadly chemicals. The two confront a universal problem: How do victims of suffering caused by others find a way to go on? 

The ensemble for An Undivided Heart includes Jeff Alan-Lee, Jesse Bush, Bob Clendenin, Alana Dietze, Ann’Jewel Lee, Paul Eiding, Matthew Gallenstein, John Getz, Kaleb King, Tracey A. Leigh, Alison Martin, Sigute Miller, Jennifer A. Skinner, Michael Sturgis and Tim Wright. Some of the parts are double cast, with actors alternating performances.

The creative team includes set designer Amanda Knehans, lighting designer Rose Malone, sound designer Cricket S. Myers, costume designer Dianne K. Graebner and graphic designer Christopher Komuro. The production stage manager is Venice Yue Yang.