Dear God at Different Strokes
Following two years of arduous preparation along with delays and obstacles, Lisa Langford’s Dear God has finally premiered at the Tina McGuire Theatre. Presented by Different Strokes Performing Arts Collective and directed by Stephanie Hickling Beckman, three actors cover quite a bit of ground in this existential, slightly alternative depiction of today's world — the major difference being that actual confirmed extraterrestrials have integrated into society and live among us. In Dear God, this new wrinkle inspires a moral delima and regular debates regarding whether or not these “outsiders” should be accepted into common public spaces, including. places of worship.
Although the premise initially sounds fairly far out, the plot initially unfolds in a familiar and refreshingly mundane way. The setting is very humble yet striking and quaint: Laura Lowe’s set consists of a round blue table with green cushions, an ample sized stainless steel fridge, rectangular kitchen island, and a typical double sink with a little white trim window just above it. Atop the stage, deep blue lights radiate, setting a sublime mood throughout the play and occasionally giving way to traditional white lighting. And just to the right of the stage in the shadows rests an organ that occasionally lends inspirational vibrations to the room courtesy of gifted musician David Smith.
The cast consists of Donna Marie, who portrays Vonnie Braxton — an aspiring, all-inclusive pastor who has struggled with ideas of God and religion. Her husband Deacon is played by Lupe Perez, and Chesney Goodson holds the ambitious task of taking on three roles: neighbor and church elder Widow Baker; Aisha Cawley, a teen churchgoer with an unwanted pregnancy; and James, a more traditional pastor, close friend of Deacon’s, as well as Vonnie’s ex-flame who disapproves of her liberal ways. Despite the play’s sci-fi elements, Langford imbues her story with a clear semblance of tradition and normalcy that provides a relatable foundation in a world that’s increasingly difficult to relate to.
Scenes are fraught with familiar occurrences and stories related to traditional Southern Baptist African-American worship, Catholicism, and revealing the more modern, open-minded approaches to religion and acceptance in today's world that still attempt to embody the living message of Jesus. Audience participation has been nicely incorporated in this performance: clapping, singing, and dancing occur spontaneously at pivotal moments, roaring gently through attendees.The actors bring these characters to light with flourishing magnetic dynamism and you’re openly invited to laugh, clap, sing, think, and question with or without judgment.
Racism, gender roles, sexuality, and “spacism” (bigotry against those from outer space) are also addressed on this stage, and there is a lot to unpack between these characters and their plight. However, it is uniquely and metaphorically outlined in such a way to allow clear and concise personal interpretation of an overall loving message toward humanity.
Dear God runs through Aug. 24. Different Strokes! Performing Arts Collective is housed in the Tina McGuire Theatre within Asheville’s Wortham Center for the Performing Arts. Visit differentstrokespac.org for tickets and details.
(Photo by Shelby Taylor)
