BWW Reviews: SURPRISING GOD Is Surprisingly Tiresome

Written and directed by Jeannette Clift George, SURPRISING GOD comprises two one-act plays that lack any storytelling foundation. With unrealistic characters and rambling dialogue, this was a disappointing experience on many levels.

In The Gospel According To Jessica, an unhappy pastor (played by Chip Simmons) is confronted by an argumentative, annoyingly combative homeless woman (Katharine Hatcher) who demands both spiritual answers and a place to stay. This one-act play consists largely of the two characters arguing back and forth, getting nowhere. It is hard to believe that Jessica really cares about any spiritual enlightenment or guidance. She is rude, mocking, and seems to think the world owes her something.

The play is confusing on a couple of levels; it is unfathomable that a pastor (or anyone) would put up with behavior like this for as long as he does. And it doesn't make any sense that someone who hates religion as much as Jessica does would seek out a religious leader to give her food and a bed for the night. Why not go to a shelter? She claims that she hates the shelter. But after a never-ending tirade against God and religion is seems like she would go anywhere but a church. It's possible that Jessica has come to the parish because of a deep-seated, subconscious need to make peace with God, but if that's the case, it never happens. The audience is left confused, tired, and without any kind of real resolution. One bright spot is Patty Tuel Bailey who is adorable as the pastor's office assistant. Unfortunately her stage time is not extensive; it is like getting a tiny, occasional patch of sunlight on a very gloomy day. Katharine Hatcher, playing Jessica, is convincingly obnoxious but tends to rely to much on little physical tics to pull the character together; repeatedly putting her feet up on a desk or a table and laughing for effect when there's nothing to laugh about. It is obvious that the actress is pregnant, but the character is not, and there's never any explanation. (This is true for the character she plays in the second one-act, as well.) Chip Simmons is believable as any actor can be in material that is hard to swallow.

The second play is just as aimless as the first, perhaps more so. Various characters stumble on and offstage, interacting with each other in incohesive moments that seem aimless and arbitrary. The setting is a country store specializing in information and supplies for tourists. Women gossip, people come and go with no real sense of purpose, and there seems to be no plot in existence. Haley Hussey plays multiple characters but sometimes the only transformations made in the portrayals are her clothing and wigs; she does not change her voice, mannerisms, or facial expressions. It is confusing and rather silly without meaning to be. At one point a woman comes in, dressed to the nines, to scout out a location for a movie. She is dressed like a 1980's nighttime soap star, with a photographer dressed like a hippie trailing after her. Unlikely? Of course, and there's never a real point to the whole circus. The entire play comes off as "camp", but without the crucial comedic styling or any sense of purpose.

This production was surprisingly lowbrow for this theatre company. I have seen three other productions by A.D. Players and all of them were engaging, exciting, and smart. One can only hope that SURPRISING GOD is an anamoly for this normally reputable theatre company.

For tickets to SURPRISING GOD: http://www.adplayers.org/

Photos Courtesy of Bara Photography

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