Review: AN ACT OF GOD at Fulton Theatre

Sometimes even the best of work could use a little revising, even God's. That's the premise behind Fulton's latest comedy on the fourth floor, An Act of God. God played by the hilarious, Erin Maguire, has decided to update the Ten Commandment and provides some fresh insight and commentary along the way. She is joined by fussy archangel, Gabrielle (Michael Iannucci) and skeptical tag-along archangel, Michael (Anson Woodin).

Here is where this production gets a little "meta". The recent Broadway production of this show starred The Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons as God. Mr. Parsons has a certain cadence, humor, and sensibility that I just couldn't see effectively working as well in this show. Therefore, director Marc Robbin's decision to cast God as a sharp, sassy, and sexy female figure really reinforces the show's themes of revision and reinvention.

Maguire's charisma connected with the audience from the moment she walked on stage. Her stand-up comedy chops serve her well in this role. Her vibrance and confidence are all the more amazing considering the extensive pages of dialogue that she had to memorize. Iannucci has fun with Gabrielle who is a bit uptight, but totally in step with God's plan. On many occasions he would make a face or give a reaction that were pure gold. Anson Woodin's Michael was really great at riffing with the audience and providing a number of unexpected laughs.

Kudos to scenic designer, Sean Cox. The set was reminiscent of a daytime TV talk show, which included the set-up of the "studio audience", multimedia cutaways, and Gabrielle's "applause" sign. These small touches really enhanced the cohesiveness of the piece.

An Act of God is a very fun show with some great opportunities for improv and audience interaction. It is already held over to March 8th, and I can easily see why. Tickets and more info can be found at the Fulton's website.