Community theatre productions rise and fall based on available talent. From one show to the next, the results vary depending on who has generously donated their time. Such is the case of Mesa Encore Theatre. Finally having freed themselves of the "little" moniker, they had hoped to head in the direction of Phoenix Theatre. Unfortunately, the new name did not save them from choosing to mount a poor script, Neil Simon's 1975 religion-based turkey, God's Favorite. This is not Simon's worst, but I doubt it is God's, nor anyone's favorite. With this as the basis, the evening is weak, with one old joke after another tossed around by performers who have as much faith in the script as it deserves. Between dropped cues, dud punch lines, and unsubtle characterizations, the result is as "little" as ever.
Imagine the Book of Job, set in modern Oyster Bay, Long Island rather than the Middle East of antiquity. Joe Benjamin (Joe-B; boy, that's clever) is a wildly successful cardboard box manufacturer whose unswerving devotion to the Head Honcho has drawn more attention than he intended. Pious Joe and his shallow family are visited by one of God's letter carriers with a message: He and Satan are wagering on what it will take to get Joe to renounce God. The race is on, and every nasty ailment and unlucky break is inflicted to see if and when Joe will flinch.
Director Frank Sprague has pushed for farce, and rightly so. The quicker the pacing, the less likely the audience will notice that the jokes are Simon rehashes of lower-than-expected quality. Daughter Sarah, awakened in the night by the sound of a prowler, dreamily imagines her attack by a rapist with "cold clammy hands running up and down her body." Nice. Prodigal eldest son David, perpetually drunk, explains that he drinks to relieve himself of sobriety. See what I mean? Unfortunately, some of the cast fails to deliver the needed spritely clip, while others rush through their dialogue in what appears to be a fear of being associated with it. Mr. Sprague also seems to have forsaken consistent characterization across the cast. Most play their parts as broadly as circus clowns, while David Plummer, playing Joe-B, is strangely subdued, mumbling and stumbling through his extensive part rather than overplaying. Mr. Sprague also offers staging of a pageant quality. The actors stand in a line at points, step out to deliver their dialogue to other characters, then return to their place, sometimes just backing up into it.
Mr. Plummer could have been effective, although his hesitant line delivery, and his monotone presentation make his Joe-B sound less devout than stubborn. Sharon Yormick's offering of wife Rose is shrill. She overplays the materialism of the role, so that the tender, caring side that emerges does not seem genuine. Michael Erwin is a solid actor, although he can't play drunk in an even remotely believable way. Sadly, drunk is 4/5ths of his character in this production. John Webster plays God's messenger, Sidney, in a scattered way, as his ramblings through his odd character are simultaneously funny and annoying.
While Dean Wray and Jamie Bauer are sometimes cute as the twins of Joe-B, they are defeated by Simon's annoying lines and situations. James Boozer's butler, Morris, is stiff, though the surprisingly best performance comes from one of the smallest roles, Billie Harris' maid, Mady. She is so naturally funny, it inadvertently undercuts the rest of the cast.
The design elements are better than what they support. Karen Rolston's box set is good, as is Merritt Smith's sound design. No one is credited with the lighting design, which is consistent.
If this is God's Favorite, then I'll be an atheist. This is community theatre, though, and those who go should undoubtedly have lower expectations than I. There are at least five genuine belly laughs, and a few good chuckles. If you're not as picky as I, like one of my companions for the evening, then you may not have a bad time. Expect "little," and you'll be pleased.
Production Details:
God's Favorite by Neil Simon
Mesa Encore Theatre (Formerly Mesa Little Theatre)
The Mesa Arts Center, Mesa
(480) 834-9500 (option 1)
November 10th - 26th, 2000