Short, sweet, and kinda-sorta-maybe-almost to the point.

That’s how I’d best describe the Trinity College Drama Society’s (TCDS) production of Woody Allen’s one-act play God, which ended a few weeks ago much to the chagrin of this belated reviewer.

The play revolves around a Greek playwright and actor who, while creating a new work, come to realize that they are merely characters in a piece by Woody Allen. Some faux-audience interaction later (really? The girl in costume and full make-up was actually part of the show?), a quest created by one of the show’s 29 characters and some existential queries propel the characters of God through a series of self-referential jokes about theatre, the meaning of life, and God. The script is light – just short of schticky – without sacrificing meaning.

Steven Conway’s direction goes a long way to give life to a play that was never meant to be staged.  Stars Willa Cowan and Arun Radhakrishnan keep the audience’s interest with their superb comedic timing. Cowan especially shines as Ancient Greek actor Diabetes, delivering her many punch lines with clarity and character. The rest of the expansive cast perform ably as well, given the difficulty of maintaining sincerity in a play that apparently has none, but occasionally mumble or lose a line due to what may be lack of energy in a hectic and chaotic piece.

Nic Farber’s set gives just enough Ancient Greek context without being too distracting and  the tricky transitions run off without a hitch. The same cannot be said for Raven Kaur’s costumes, which offer just a little bit too much knowledge of which cast members have tattoos and where the sound and lighting were strong.

Overall, God is a deep, meaningful journey into the fundamental questions of human existence that isn’t afraid to laugh at itself and everything around. The cast keeps the audience laughing and the production values are excellent, making God an enjoyable fifty minutes or so of theatre.

Unfortunately, God’s run has ended.

If you are interested in TCDS’ plays, check out their shows in the upcoming Hart House Drama Festival and their production of Spring Awakening this March.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 7th, 2012 at 8:00 am and is filed under Review, theatre, UT Life. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.