Playroom Theater Presents "God Shows Up" by Peter Filicia - A TV Evangelist Feels the Wrath of God!

Lou Liberatore, Maggie Bofill, Christopher Sutton
"God Shows Up" by Peter Filichia
Playroom Theater - 151 W. 46th St.
Through February 21st
Photo by Andy Evan Cohen

Playwright Peter Filicia has perfectly captured the bizarre and profane world of TV evangelists, using an effective blend of gallows humor and well-placed righteous indignity. In "God Shows Up," evangelist Dr. Thomas Isaac Rehan (Christopher Sutton) invites his viewing audience to pay close attention to his next guest - none other than The Almighty Himself (Lou Liberatore). In the Beginning, God shows up dressed like a lumber jack, and engages in light banter with Rehan about the weather and other topics. But The Omnipotent One eventually brings the focus of his questions to His real agenda - unmasking the hypocrisy of Rehan and his ilk.

Every few minutes, Rehan interrupts the dialogue to hawk the latest holy tchotchke that viewers can receive for a donation to the ministry. As God - also presented in female form by Maggie Bofill - continues His/Her questioning, we learn of Rehan's expensive limousines, designer clothing, extravagant homes, body guards, child labor in the developing world making trinkets for pennies a day, sexual impropriety,etc.

While appearing over the top, this portrayal of the prototypical TV evangelist hit close to home. I recently fell asleep with my TV turned on. When I awoke at 3:00 AM, there was an evangelist I had not seen before, promising blessings galore if viewers would send $58.00 to unleash God's bounty upon them. There was the Prosperity Gospel in all of its ugliness and bad theology.

The trinity of actors are effective in telling the story, and are well directed by Christopher Scott. The action is helped by excellent Projection and Sound by Andy Evan Cohen, Lights by Joan Racho-Jansen, Costumes by Michael Platkowski, and Set by Josh Iacovelli.

The play runs through February 21st at the Playroom Theater, 151 W. 46th Street.

This play is worth seeing. And that is the Gospel truth!

Enjoy!

Al