Review: THIS IS A PLAY ABOUT GOD at District Fringe Festival

While the volleyball court may be the setting for most matchups, THIS IS A PLAY ABOUT GOD is far more concerned with the action behind the scenes when the athletes stop performing. Written by Aimee Dastin and directed by Rachel Johns, this is a world premiere produced as part of the District Fringe Festival.

At a summer intensive program for elite volleyball players, the sport is treated as a religion. When their time playing high school volleyball is through, the players aspire to be deemed worthy to ascend to college volleyball playing for the mythical Nebraska. In their locker room, everything about their routines, wellbeing, and personal life is carefully manicured to maximize their chances of having their career live on beyond high school. However, with the introduction of a new teammate who doesn’t ascribe to the superstitions and challenges the team’s beliefs, tensions rise and  dark secrets to begin to emerge. Through this premise, this performance gives us a glimpse into the fervor of the lives of aspiring athletes and what happens when habits turn to tradition. 

Mollie Greenberg James plays a trusting, yet virtuous Fern, while Cate Ginsberg (Hailey) exudes dark humor that shows both spirit and Hailey’s own damaged relationship with volleyball as a result of the cult that has formed. Alexandria Grigsby (Olive) delivers in a way that illuminates the social webs present and at play. Maddie Baylor (Mackenzie) and Kayleandra White (Kayla) both deliver standout performances that vividly highlight and build the conflict between how things have always been done and the opportunity for that to change. Additionally, Tristin Evans’ (Jordan) presence, although brief, is transformative for the characters and audience.

Writer Aimee Dastin wisely merges two salient themes: the toxicity that brews from fanatical obsession and the more modern-day lock-in/hustle hyper-optimization of life. There is a major question of appearance as a source of value rather than the characteristics that make each person unique. This is clear from the manner that the athletes treat Coach- constantly asking if she is listening, down to the perception that the broken vending machine in the locker room is prophetic. All parts of a laundry list of fears the athletes have and seek to control at the expense of who they are and what makes them unique.

While the thematic elements are extraordinary, THIS IS A PLAY ABOUT GOD sometimes overlooks the comparatively inclusive culture of high school competitive volleyball. Although prejudice and fears around identity remain genuine issues in every sport, this particular disconnect can make some of the characters' anxieties feel exaggerated, slightly weakening the emotional impact of the central storyline.

The line “we control what we can” is uttered and then echoed throughout the work. Fittingly, THIS IS A PLAY ABOUT GOD demonstrates the same discipline by steadily tightening its grip over the audience until its final moments with impressive control over tension. This escalating tension keeps the audience wondering over where team loyalty ends and self-destruction begins.

Top left to bottom right: Kayleandra White, Cate Ginsberg, Molly Greenberg James, Alexandria Grigsby, Maddie Baylor, Tristin Evans. Photo Credit: Gab Ryan

Reader Reviews

To post a comment, you must register and login.

Don't Miss a Washington, DC News Story
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...

Washington, DC News

Get the latest news, discounts & more