An Act of God at the Booth Theatre
Sean Hayes as the Creator in An Act of God.
There aren’t many ways to do a one-man show about God that won’t offend anyone, but David Javerbaum’s strikingly articulate comedy An Act of God comes pretty close. That’s not to say it’s not daring, but rather to say that it doesn’t have much of an agenda beyond a ninety-minute barrage of genuinely funny jokes. What philosophical throughlines there are amount to that divine being Himself coming to realize, gradually, that there is something seriously wrong with him, and making a last-minute stop-in on Broadway to clarify some of his new rules before he takes action on that problem.
Oh, and he’s played by Sean Hayes, which is always pleasant. An Act of God was on Broadway last summer, too, then at Studio 54 with Jim Parsons in the title role; if Mr. Parsons is a more dynamic actor (and probably funnier, too, when not hamstrung by inferior material), then Mr. Hayes is more comfortably mature and seems to be having more of a great time onstage. He’s got a sprawling white couch on a James Turrell-esque set by Scott Pask, two foils in the form of archangels Gabriel (James Gleason, delightfully taciturn) and Michael (David Josefsberg), and plenty of time to explain some of the things humanity has failed to understand about his divine wisdom. “I don’t want a personal relationship with anybody,” he protests, explaining one of his his ten “new commandments” that form the structural basis of the evening. “I want to put as much space between me and you as possible. That’s what religion is for.”
All of this is funny to a surprisingly consistent extent; Mr. Javerbaum has found a rhythm with this show that he took years to develop with a corresponding book and comedic Twitter account -- it shows. Mr. Javerbaum, an Emmy-winning writer for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, also penned the book and lyrics to Cry-Baby, and his language and style are unique in their genuine attempts to plumb theological issues combined with a genuine desire to get to the punchline that never feels strained. It’s purely excellent satire -- it’s not really trying for any new ideas, but it doesn’t really matter all that much because it’s just nice to be along for the ride. It also helps that Mr. Hayes gets to take a couple of shots at himself -- God explains that he’s co-opted the Will and Grace star’s body for the evening (“He doesn’t even know he’s here”) because despite his being relatively unextraordinary at most things, “you kind of can’t help rooting for him.”
The same could be said for this show, which is brief, to the point, and poignant (and directed by Joe Mantello -- always a plus). Mr. Javerbaum is not a religious man, but he is clearly a deeply felt one -- the closing number to Stephen Colbert’s Christmas special, which he wrote with Adam Schlesinger, “There Are Much Worse Things to Believe In,” was a humanist paean to faith enough to jerk a tear and a laugh from even the most hardened cynic. I was thrilled to see another Schlesinger-Javerbaum number close this show, in which God, preparing to abandon humanity, regales us with the comforting words “I have faith in you.” It was funny, lyrically astute, and moving in the way it seems only a Javerbaum piece can be. If nothing else, this production is another chance to experience a developing satirical voice in the theater from one of the unlikeliest of origins, and thank God for that.
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