By Eric George Tauber
SAN DIEGO — The Gods of Comedy is playing at the Old Globe Theatre through June 16, 2019.
Theatre traces its origins to the classical period of Greece, 510-323 BCE. There were a great many more plays written than are extant today. Copying by hand is a laborious process and papyrus doesn’t weather the centuries well. Moreover, the famous Alexandria Library was burned down, once by Julius Caesar in 48 BCE, collateral damage in his pursuit of Pompey, and again by Caliph Omar in 642 CE who felt that the Quran was the only book worth reading. So, like the Dead Sea Scrolls, even a fragment of legible text is a treasure.
That’s why they can hardly believe it when Professor Ralph, on an academic trip to Greece, stumbles upon Andromeda, the entire text of a long lost play. Jevon McFerrin plays Ralph as a likable, high-strung, nebbishy academic geeking out over his discovery, then freaking out over the craziness that follows. Shay Vawn is Prof Daphne, an academic so married to her scholarship that she hasn’t made much time for romance. Of course, they’re made for each other.
After a tragically comical mishap with the manuscript, Daphne desperately calls on the gods of the ancient Greeks for help. And what do you know? Two of them come to the rescue: Dionysus, the God of Comedy and Thalia, the Muse of Comedy.
Nobody has more fun with their roles than these two gods. Brad Oscar (Dionysus) has a campy, larger-than-life presence reminiscent of Zero Mostel and Jackie Gleason with a side of Chris Farley. Jessie Cannizzaro (Thalia) has a background in educational theatre and improvisation, which really comes through her cartoonish voices and zany humor.
Playwright Ken Ludwig captures the original magic of theatre. When the gods say that they are invisible, they are. No special effects, just a snap of the fingers. The other actors don’t react to their antics, so we roll with it.
Other characters have their ulterior motives. Dean Trickett (Keira Naughton) is hunting for big donations dressed as Artemis. The vampy has-been movie star Brooklyn (Stefanie Leigh) smells a comeback and Ralph is warm putty in her hands.
And I would be remiss if I neglected to mention George Psomas. First, he breaks the fourth wall and charms us into this wacky world as Aristide, a Greek street merchant. He returns as Aleksi, the custodian who causes the mishap with the treasured tome. Then he makes a grand entrance as Ares, the full-of-himself God of War who’s out to conquer more than lands, if you know what I mean.
Hats off to Director Amanda Dehnert for pulling together a tight ensemble that clearly has a lot of fun working together. Scenic Designer Jason Sherwood brings us into a larger office than any academic ever had filled floor to ceiling with books and busts and many nice touches. And Linda Roethke’s costumes are as playfully colorful as a box of crayons.
The First Commandment states: “I am יהוה your God. …You shall have no other gods beside Me.” (Ex. 20:2) So we should never abandon our faith. But can’t we step out and have a good laugh once in awhile?
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Tauber is a freelance writer who specializes in coverage of the arts. He may be contacted via eric.tauber@sdjewishworld.com