My God!

Does God exist? Is life really meaningless? Woody Allen ponders some of the deepest philosophical questions of all time in his "God (a play)." While he doesn't provide any answers, Allen does present a comic debate on the meaning of the universe.

Hepatitis (a character, not the disease), played by Kevin Krim '97-'98, is trying to write an appropriate ending to his play so he can win a competition in Ancient Athens. As the lights go up, he and his main character, Diabetes (Adam Green '99), are discussing the philosophical implications of having Zeus appear at the end and save the day. This leads them into a dialogue, which forms the main body of the play, about the nature of man and reality. Among the perplexing propositions they argue over is the question,: is the audience real, or was it created by a writer of a much larger play?

With the help of a flying contraption invented by Trichinosis (Josh Derman '97), and a philosophy minor Doris Levine (Stephanie Smith '98), Hepatitis decides on an ending and the play is performed. Hepatitis' play, complete with a Greek chorus similar to that in Allen's "Mighty Aphrodite," echoes the philosophical style as the actual play. This time, though, the debate is on the pros and cons of freedom: should a slave give up being taken care of for the "dangerous" freedom, and the responsibility of, one's actions?

Allen does not deviate in any way from his familiar style and despite the plays' setting in Ancient Greece, it still takes occasional shots at New York City. "That's New York. You give them your money and they still stab you," the chorus comments. The characters are typical Woody Allen creations, slightly exaggerated and one dimensional, but the cast brings them to life.

Green gives a particularly good performance as Diabetes, the actor; he has great stage presence and handles the role with natural charm. Smith has her New York accent down from the moment she pops up out of the audience to enter into the philosophical debate, weilding a degree in gym from Brooklyn College. Whether they're on stage the entire time or shouting three lines from the audience, the cast really comes together.

The play is only 45 minutes, but this is long enough; the purpose of man can only be debated for so long if no answers are being provided. In the beginning of the play, Diabetes argues that a play needs "a beginning, a middle, and an end"; only circles lack this structure, and "they aren't much fun." "God(a play)" actually comes full circle in its debate, repeating in its final moments the opening line. Fortunately, this circle is funny.