Help A Handicapped God Trot Across The Universe

See it if you like absurd British theater that takes on religious issues. Here, an energetic cast takes on a tough script.

Don't see it if you don't like absurdity to go on too long. I found this presentation tiring, accents and voice projection uneven amidst loud, long bursts.

See it if you are excited by avant guard drama. The opening scene is wildly funny.

Don't see it if Repetitious, often unclear material irritates you. The initial energy of a big active cast dwindles to a series of monologues by the end.

See it if Grave luuving "trumpeters" live amid the dead awaiting & debating Grandad's resurrection.Theology:"May the martyrs receive you in 2ndcoming"

Don't see it if Large cast w/ uneven accents. Blasphemy.Mean-spirited shots negate the debate/discourse from rising. "You enjoy your resurrection, sunshine"

Also "Nice cross, Jesus, where'd you get it?/God knows "Julie Walters' bro wrote it. Exit music is "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" and "Crazy Train."... Read more Read less

See it if You enjoy shows that poke fun at religion

Don't see it if You don’t like experimental and very over-the-top theater. There are loud and annoying screams and noises throughout

Also The only thing I liked about the production was is the smoke coming out of the tea.
There are some shows I dislike and I’m not sure if it’s because they’re really bad, meaning no one would like them or maybe I am just missing the point. I’m 100% positive on this one, I didn’t miss the point. Unless you are supporting a friend in the cast I don’t understand how anyone could possibly like this.... Read more Read less

See it if you love wonderful sets. Or if you love absurdism for the sake of absurdism.

Don't see it if absurdism without purpose is a turn off.

Also At 75 minutes this show MAY have been tolerable. At 105 an audience member might want to practice their own form of escapism.

Epilogues should be reserved for times when a show's budget does not give the author the opportunity to show conclusions on stage. Even then they are annoying. Here the author uses 5 epilogues (5?!) because he doesn't seem to know how to write "stage fades to black".

If you want to see well written religious satire that strikes directly at religious beliefs and societal norms see Soul Survivor at the Steve and Marie Sgouros Theatre. (Of course, learn what satire is before you go).... Read more Read less

See it if You like experimental theater with religious wit & very quirky characters. The actors made a valiant effort to Interpret this play.

Don't see it if If indeed there was a point to the play, I sincerely missed it. Unfortunately, I would recommend to skip this one.

See it if you want to see some mostly good actors struggle to perform a very bad, hokey, totally pointless play. Costuming was good too.

Don't see it if you want a coherent plot; even acting, consistent accents.

See it if The height of absurdist drama performed by a cheeky cast with witty asides intrigues you. Reminiscent of Firesign Theater.

Don't see it if You want a simple plot or a straightforward premise.

See it if you enjoy absurd plots and dialogues

Don't see it if you cannot tolerate poking fun at religion; or very short scene with nudity; or references to sex

Also The plot was somewhat interesting but the acting was all over the place and uneven which made the experience much less enjoyable.

I saw this play at the 13th Street Repertory Theater in Jan 2020.... Read more Read less

See it if you are interested in a highly symbolic take on religion through the lens of an English sitcom. Enjoy big comic performances.

Don't see it if if you mind confusing structure and unclear ideas. Choppy scenes and cliched characters that are attempting to work as symbolic archtypes.

See it if You like British shows and absurdist plays

Don't see it if You. Have trouble with accents.

See it if into what is sometimes called Experimental...

Don't see it if you need a point to your theater

Also There is something sadly ironic about this resurrection-themed play. Resurrected entities are rarely satisfyingly alive ((see Frankenstein, Pet Sematary), and same here as this return to the "experimental" style feels more nostalgic than alive. Having quirky characters in a pointless play is no longer daring nor truly experimental.

This is obviously a work of love and most of the cast of 11 inhabit their characters convincingly. But without a strong backbone of a story or freshly stylized presentation, this is a weak entry in the absurdist genre.

I heard some laughter, but I found most jokes to be on the surface. The Jesus theme was forced, providing a few winks but failing to go anywhere. But again - this is a labor of love from an iconic local theater and I hope they got enough love back.... Read more Read less

See it if U like British style comical play that is meant to be bizarre, absurd, & silly fun fantasy. The script is very original & direction good.

Don't see it if U dislike farce over the top zany plot. U don’t like slightly outdated British humor or loud noises. It is worth seeing just for originality

Also This is a creative original script with premise of the anticipated resurrection of a dead uncle whose zany family & acquaintances are all waiting in the cemetery with different views about such occurrences.

It is a large cast of zany characters each managing to forge a colorful impression due to the skillful direction of Joe Battista who painstakingly gave each character individuality & personality despite a crazy script that is outdated & humor at times awkward due to playwright’s verbose long dialogues. Some characters need to be given less stage time & dialogues cut. Less is more & easier to deliver comical punch!

Also, the excess noise from banging a baton & blowing trumpets became annoying as there are already loudness & hysteric overload from some characters. The most effective character portrayals came from David Yalullo/Jesus & Nicolas Munson/Rev. Warmpit. They may not have the most exposure but are memorable.
Despite fantasy a piece of British small town life came across.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see large cast of actors energetically inhabit their roles.

Don't see it if You are not up for a play that questions religious tenets.

See it if You like to support a large cast doing their best with an involved script. For a small stage they did a great job and created Atmosphere.

Don't see it if You don’t like experimental work. It is totally full of quirky characters and it may be difficult to identify with.

See it if you like Bouffon style theatre that takes place in working class England, possibly Birmingham, in a graveyard full of relatives and friends.

Don't see it if you have headache and are tired of waiting for the resurrection to occur in this torturous production with no intermission.

See it if If you enjoy off-beat Britcom humor, like Monty Python.

Don't see it if Don’t like farce/off-beat Brit-Com humor.

Also Not for everyone: I loved (as did many in the packed (although small) house; my wife, not a fan of Pythonesque humor, did not. For me, a hilarious farce; thought the cast were all excellent. No disputing taste: this is a show you are likely to love or hate, depending on your taste.... Read more Read less

See it if you wish to support community theater.

Don't see it if you expect good writing, good plot or general entertainment in a play. Don't see it if you dislike unnecessary screaming and shouting.

See it if Only if your close friends with a cast member and you are under some kind of obligation.

Don't see it if You don't want to waste an evening on a stultifying, offensively bad show.

Also I only went to this show because it had the great Everett Quinton in it, but his colossal talent was wasted on this practically incomprehensible would-be farce. It got more offensive and stupid as it went along. Several of the cast could not even be understood through their thick accents and lack of projection--though that was probably just as well because when they could be understood they weren't making any sense. Comedy is difficult, but the only people laughing hard in this theatre were the players themselves--at the audience, I guess.

Also, when I arrived they tried not to honor Show-Score reservations saying the producer put us on a wait list. This was TOTALLY unacceptable and they should be removed from consideration for any Show-Score member nights.... Read more Read less

See it if You have a friend in the cast. Or you are a genius that’s going to try and figure out what the show is even about for the rest of us.

Don't see it if You’d like a navigable play that makes sense. Or would be offended by some unannounced nudity.

Also If you’re coming on a Show Score Member Night, be cautious as they initially told all the Show Score ticket holders that their tickets may be given away to full price patrons. They let us in a minute before the show started because they had “extra” seats. If you’re going to host a member night, please honor that. We did pay a $5-$8 processing fee and made our way to the theatre that night..... Read more Read less

See it if If you like ear splitting screams and a ridiculous plot abut raising the dead sprinkled with irreligious overtones.I saw it on closing night

Don't see it if You can't stand ear-splitting screams, a garbled irreligious show with explicit sexual acts in a play about raising the dead.

See it if One might enjoy this if the primary criteria are the energy and enthusiasm of the cast

Don't see it if You would not like the show if you want a coherent plot or consistent accents (some are British, some are American, and some are a mixture)

See it if If you love great actors and British farcical Show crazy show

Don't see it if If You need simple answers and simple plot

See it if you're into experimental comedy with charismatic actors.

Don't see it if you're not into anything British.

See it if You’re a fan of British Absurdism, but then again if you are, that may be a reason not to

Don't see it if You are a casual theatre goer looking to have a nice night out with a friend/date. Or if you dislike constant screaming and loud trumpeters

Also While some in the cast made an energetic attempt with the dialogue, and while the set was fairly engrossing and well constructed, I think the play ultimately suffers from poor direction. Most of the running gags in the show are not funny to begin with, and quickly become draining and annoying. How nobody told these actors that what they were doing vocally did not fit the room they were playing in is beyond me.
As the playwright himself said, this play was pulled from the bottom of a dusty drawer in his home. It will undoubtedly be making its return after this run. But who knows, maybe a more competent troupe of trumpeters will resurrect it again.... Read more Read less