The 2015 (and 2016) Broadway play
An Act of God, written by former
The Daily Show head writer David Javerbaum, is delightfully irreverent but still respectful of faith. Think
The Book of Mormon (which is referenced), or that scene in
Spelling Bee in which a contestant asks Jesus to help them win the spelling bee and Jesus shows up to say, "It's not the kind of thing I care that much about." On Broadway the character of God, who speaks directly to the audience, was played by a man, but Six Points Theater wisely chose beloved #TCTheater veteran Sally Wingert to star in their new production, and I truly cannot think of anyone better to embody God. The play is so smart, so funny, so relevant, and this production, with a talented cast and sharp design in the intimate space in Highland Park Community Center, is really just the best. If you're looking for a hilarious comedy with substance, that'll make you laugh and nod your head in agreement and maybe gasp a time or two,
don't miss An Act of God!
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| Sally Wingert is God (photo by Sarah Whiting) |
The play is constructed as a direct address by God to the audience as He shares with us His new Ten Commandments. You see, when He wrote them on those stone tablets so long ago, He didn't know they could become His most popular work, so they need some updates. Since God is formless (and He's no dummy), He has chosen to possess the body of Sally Wingert to deliver the Good News to St. Paul (as He states in the beginning of the play). God tells us the new commandments one by one, with the help of His angels
Gabriel, who reads appropriate verses from the Bible, and
Michael, who asks questions supposedly from the audience, but really from himself, as he tries to understand these new rules and questions some of the things that God has done. As you can imagine, this does not make God very happy, but it doesn't deter Him from delivering His new commandments. Once that's done, God returns to from whence He came, and restores Sally Wingert to consciousness, leaving us all the wiser, and the more exhausted from laughter.
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God (Sally Wingert) and His angels (Andrew Newman
and Kevin Brown, Jr., photo by Sarah Whiting) |
Craig Johnson directs the play and wrings all of the humor out of the script, using the entire space of the theater and really leaning into the fourth-wall breaking aspect (warning: if you sit on the aisle or in the front, you may be asked a question or two). There's no other way to say it, Sally Wingert is a Minnesota treasure. She delivers this hilarious and on point message with gusto, so wryly funny, so no-nonsense, and even a little terrifying at times. It's mostly her show, but she's not alone on stage. She's joined by Andrew Newman as Gabriel, the Ed McMahon to God's Johnny Carson. Kevin Brown, Jr. gets a workout as Michael running up and down the stairs, in and out of the theater, and really representing the voice of the people. They make a great trio (although it's obvious who's in charge), and the closing musical number is icing on the cake.
Michael Hoover's clean and impressive set is dominated by two huge stone tablets upon which are carved the Ten Commandments, each one lit up as it's discussed. A grand staircase descends on one side, from which God descends, with a granite bench for God to sit upon (with cupholders, because God gets thirsty). The angels look appropriately angelic - white dresses with feathered wings, and God looks divine in a white gown with a gold crown and gold sneakers. Some scary booming sound effects are used to illustrate God's wrath and power. (Lighting design by Todd M. Reemtsma, sound design by C. Andrew Mayer, costume design by A. Emily Heaney.)
The genius of this play is that we're not really laughing at God, we're laughing at humans and the ridiculous, stupid, offensive, and downright evil things we do in God's name. (S)He ain't havin' it anymore. Instead, the new commandments stipulate things like, "Thou shalt not tell others whom to fornicate" and "Thou shalt separate Me from state." Amen to that! The point of this satirical comedy is to skewer people, nations, and politicians who use God and the Bible to justify violence, bigotry, and hate, something that is all too common today. I found myself nodding my head in agreement at many of the commandments; even though it's all in good fun, the world might be a better place if people actually followed these simple guidelines.
