Review - The Savannah Disputation: I'm A Believer

"I know Jesus loves me! It's you he hates!"

While I have a sneaking suspicion that playwright Evan Smith meant for his new comedy, The Savannah Disputation, to bring out provocative issues of faith from underneath its many, many, many big laughs, I'm afraid director Walter Bobbie's production at Playwrights Horizon settles for being ninety of the funniest minutes currently gracing Manhattan's stages. Oh sure, maybe some churchgoers will have reservations, but this heathen had a helluva good time.

As designed by John Lee Beatty, the Savannah home of devout Catholic sisters Mary (Dana Ivy) and Margaret (Marylouise Burke) is an explosion of clashing paisley from carpet to walls to upholstery. And as costumed by David C. Woolard, we can see the ladies are not overly concerned with their appearance. The fun begins when Melissa (Kellie Overbey), a young, pretty, attractively dressed Pentecostal missionary comes to their door in hopes of saving them from their false religion. ("I'm not anti-Catholic. Some of my church's best converts used to be Catholic.") The hard-nosed, no-nonsense Mary slams the door on Melissa's first attempt to pull out a pamphlet, but on a return visit she's greeted by the polite and trusting Margaret, who starts questioning her faith after a brief chat with her genial and articulate visitor.

Infuriated by her arguments that Catholicism is idolatry and that even yoga is Satanic ("It turns out that all the stretches you do in yoga are really the exact same prostrations used in ancient Aztec sun worship.") Mary whips up the idea to ambush Melissa by inviting her to discuss religion at the same time her unsuspecting priest, Father Murphy (Reed Birney), is over as a dinner guest. ("We want you to crush her. We want you to demolish her.") With the father dressed casually, the missionary is unaware she's being set up when she pulls out literature on "Buying Your Way Into Heaven" and "Cannibalism in The catholic Church," but the gloves comes off when the topic turns to, "The Grammatical Error That Begat Popery," a belief that Jesus' word was mistranslated by the Greeks from the original Aramaic. One of the author's most admirable achievements in the play is how he makes scenes of scripture quoting rather entertaining.

As might be expected, such debate does lead to doubts on matters of faith. Friendships are tested and personal anguish is revealed, but the play only touches lightly on its serious moments. Too lightly, in fact, when it comes to a series of phone messages that foreshadow circumstances that the author never concludes satisfactorily.

The evening is sitcomy, but in the best sense of the word. Ivey hilariously barks out brittle wisecracks but shows just enough of the hurt woman her barbs protect. Burke, as always, is just an adorable figure; timid, cordial and trusting. The confusion she suffers when questioning her church is, in turns, both funny and endearing. No matter what one may think of her methods Overbey keeps Melissa a sincere and sympathetic woman with an honest desire to do good. As Father Murphy, Birney must anchor the proceedings and he does so dutifully and with gentle humor.

While the more religious among us may take something more from The Savannah Disputation, it's the sort of play that can certainly be enjoyed on a secular level. After all, as Melissa says, "Take away their religion and Catholics are just people.

Photos by Joan Marcus: Top: Dana Ivey; Bottom: Marylouise Burke and Kellie Overbey