Review by Neal Newman
August 11, 2024
AN ACT OF GOD is a one-act play starring God. The set is a cloud-capped sky, and the costumes are all white. The angels have wings. God is a combination of standup comic and game show host. He has several things to tell us. Some are trivial: he doesn’t want to be called upon whenever someone sneezes. Worse, he is frequently called upon by people enjoying sex. Stop that. He also has some more excellent themes to consider. Have you ever noticed that people recite the Bible as holy scripture and then use these quotes to pursue their nefarious plans? And what about those Ten Commandments? Aren’t they being misinterpreted and probably out of date? God has brought us a new set and will introduce them like a game show, complete with a Vanna angel.
The play is hilarious, which is not surprising. It was written by David Javerbaum, who has a shelf full of Emmys from his days as writer/producer of THE DAILY SHOW in the Jon Stewart era. It started with random tweets, a blog, a book, and finally, a play that starred Jim Parsons and Sean Hayes on Broadway. The running time is seventy minutes, which is perfect for a Netflix special, but that probably won’t happen since so much of our divided country would find this kind of humor deeply offensive.
It didn’t deter Ambler’s ACT II playhouse audience, who greeted the production with prolonged laughter and applause. The event is directed by and starring Tony Braithwaite, the theatre’s artistic director. The first-class sets, costumes, and lights are by Meghan Jones, Seana Benz, and James Leitner. The youthful angels are portrayed by Renee McFillin (a beautiful game show sidekick who also proclaims Bible verses) and Paddy May, who risks losing his wings by asking too many questions that God doesn’t want to answer, such as “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Answer: ‘Because good things happen to bad people.”
Braithwaite, whose 50th ACT II production this is, is a skilled comedian who has excelled in standup comedy, improvisational sketches, and one-man shows. His timing is impeccable, and he relates to the audience with warmth and wrath as the occasion calls for it. In the end, he is also quite touching as he wonders why the universe remains so terrible if God is so all-knowing and omnipotent
This production, unlike Broadway, avoids political content in an election year. You can concentrate on all your contradictions about God.
RUNNING TIME: 70 minutes without intermission.
AN ACT OF GOD runs through September 8 at 56 Butler Avenue, Amble, PA. Tickets can be obtained at Act2.org or by calling 215-654-0200