While God works in mysterious ways, there's very little in His Words that can't be made silly and simplistic. For Adam Long, Reed Martin, and Austin Tichenor, those three wild guys who condensed Shakespeare and Cliff-Noted American History, the next logical step is to make the Bible, a document dissected into minutia, disputed over, and died for during the past two millennia, into a slapstick comedy. It's actually not a bad idea, and for the most part, the material can handle the re-translation. Sure, some will be offended, and others will be driven to call this a damnable act. Most, though, will see The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged) as a cute little show that targets an embattled holy document, offering a mix of some very funny material, and a surprising amount of old chestnuts and duds, that will keep them laughing and groaning throughout the evening.
Matthew Wiener, knowing the success for Actors Theatre of Phoenix of the last two Long, Martin, and Tichenor shows, is trying to keep up the track record by offering and helming the third. He has wisely brought back two of the three actors who helped him create The Complete History of America (abridged) two seasons ago. The problem is, during the October 20th preview, those old chestnut jokes were joined with technical miscues, tentative pacing, and a lacking in the all-important cast chemistry in a way that slightly undercut the enjoyment of the production. It was still quite funny, though, especially the second act, and one expects that the technical and the chemistry will improve throughout the run.
Individually, the actors were great. Just when you think you've seen the best performance from Ben Brittain, he comes along and creates something even better. His character is the unofficial leader of the three onstage, and he is a delight with his command of the others, and his knowing winks to the audience. His delivery is top notch, and his energy boundless. He sometimes misses the mark, as with his Moses as talk show host, but he more than makes up for it with other bits, especially the song segments.
The usually strong Richard Trujillo seemed a little off preview night. His energy was not quite as intense, and he seemed hesitant with some of his sillier moments. Still, he does a wonderful job, corralling his trademark intensity into a solidly odd mix of silly and committed. He is unconvincing in the just-plain-dumb Tower of Babel sequence, though he believably carries his obsession with Noah's Ark through to its hilarious conclusion, as only he could.
While cute and generally endearing, David Morden is a bit disjointed as the innocent of the three. He pulls off the child-like bits very well, but his drag bits aren't as funny as they could be. He doesn't seem committed to making them as campy as they need to be, rather than just extensions of his character's naïveté.
For this go-around, Scenic Designer Jeff Thomson creates a gigantic bible as a backdrop to the proceedings. The piece is sadly unincorporated in the show, and worse, Technical Director Christopher Wood has allowed the words painted on the right side of the page to be unevenly centered, a silly mistake that looks a bit amateur. Paul Black's lighting design is better, and Cat Dragon's property design, which is not quite as intensive as the previous (abridged) shows, is still professionally handled. The most disappointing technical elements are Constance Furr-Soloman's costumes, which run from acceptable, such as the silk pieces, to unimpressive, as the base body suits prove to be, and the unbilled sound design, which was poorly run.
While the show will no doubt tighten up over the next few weeks, nothing can stop the groaner-jokes that populate the show. Many of the bits, especially in the first act, are chestnuts that anyone with an email account has heard hundreds of times. Of course, once the actors' chemistry is solidified, they'll get the timing down, knowing when to pause for a knowing wink, and when to flee quickly after another old joke is launched. Overall, this is a funny evening, and proof that blasphemy can be fun.
Production Details:
The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged) by Adam Long, Reed Martin, and Austin
Tichenor
Actors Theatre of Phoenix
The Herberger Theater Stage West, Phoenix
(602) 252-8497
October 20th - November 12th, 2000