Photo Flash: First Look at Good Theater's AN ACT OF GOD

Good Theater rings in the New Year with the Maine premiere of David Javerbaum's hit Broadway comedy, An Act of God. The production opens January 16 and runs through February 10. Good Theater is the professional theater in residence at the St. Lawrence Arts Center, 76 Congress Street, Portland. For tickets and information call 207-835-0895 or go to the company's website, www.goodtheater.com.

An Act of God opened on Broadway May 28, 2015 starring Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) as God. The show played a limited engagement and returned in 2016 with Sean Hayes (Will and Grace) as God.

Good Theater's production of An Act of God will star Laura Houck in the title role. Houck has been a regular at Good Theater starring in Becky's New Car, Regrets Only, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, plus both editions of Shear Madness. She is joined by her two archangels, Gabriel played by Paul Haley and Michael played by Michael Lynch. Haley is a regular on the Good Theater stage having appeared with Houck in Becky's New Car, Regrets Only and Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. He has also been seen in A Comedy of Tenors, Act One, Frost/Nixon, and Death by Design. Michael Lynch is better known to Good Theater audiences as the box office manager. His is the voice patrons hear when they call the theater. Michael has also been the company's resident stage manager for many years. This marks his Good Theater stage debut.

An Act of God is directed by Good Theater's Artistic Director, Brian P. Allen. Craig Robinson is the set designer, Justin Cote is the costume designer and stage manager, Iain Odlin is the lighting designer, Jared Mongeau is the props designer, and Steve Underwood is the sound designer . Victoria Stubbs serves as the musical director.

David Javerbaum is an American comedy writer. Javerbaum has won 13 Emmy Awards in his career, 11 of which he received for his work on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He runs the popular Twitter account @TheTweetOfGod, an account known for its anti-religious tweets (especially on christianity), which as of December 2018 has 5.5 million followers, and which served as the basis for his play An Act of God.

In the play, God has come down to earth to share a new set of commandments for the 21st Century. God riffs on history, current events and God's own self-doubts. The show is hysterically funny, very irreverent, running for 90 minutes, and is likely to lift your spirits during the winter doldrums.

"I saw Sean Hayes do An Act of God on Broadway, and loved the show. I laughed myself silly," says director Allen. "When it came time to do the show, I really wanted to find a woman to play God. I felt it brought a whole new dimension to the play, and in our current political world, having a woman as God seemed like a nicely progressive move for us."

Tickets and performances times are: Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:00 ($25), Fridays 7:30 ($25), Saturdays 3:00 & 7:30 ($32) and Sundays 2:00 ($32). Tickets are available on line by going to the company's website www.goodtheater.com or patrons may call the box office to speak directly to the Archangel Michael at 207-835-0895.

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