Review: World Premiere of KEN LUDWIG'S THE GODS OF COMEDY at McCarter's Matthews Theater

Esteemed playwright Ken Ludwig, winner of multiple Tony and Olivier Awards, introduced his newest piece at The McCarter Theater Center in Princeton, New Jersey. Ken Ludwig'S THE GODS OF COMEDY opened to rapturous laughter and a receptive audience thanks to a bright production and terrific performances.

THE GODS OF COMEDY opens, appropriately enough, in the birthplace of Western theater. In modern day Greece, we are introduced to Daphne (played by Shay Vawn), a young, career-oriented, tenure-track classics professor working on a translation and performance of Euripides' MADEA for her thesis. Although the set and lighting are fantastic in the short opening scene, and the play centers around Greek theater and mythology, the introduction is light on humor and there isn't proper motivation to set it away from the rest of the show.

Back on an American college campus, Daphne's department head and potential lover Ralph (Jevon McFerrin) excitedly bursts into her office with a found copy of the lost tragedy, ANDROMEDA by Euripides. Ralph leaves the manuscript with Daphne as he heads to a meeting with Dean Trickett (Keira Naughton) but as Daphne steps out of the room for a minute, the janitor enters her office and mistakes the priceless book for trash and shreds the first two pages before taking the found copy of ANDROMEDA along with him.

As Daphne reenters her work space, she realizes that the artifact is lost and prays to the Gods of Comedy for help. Before long, Dionysus and Thalia step out of the pages of ancient mythology and arrive in Daphne's office. Dionysus, the Greek God of Wine and Revelry and inspiration behind the earliest Greek theater, is played marvelously by Broadway veteran Brad Oscar. Thalia, the Muse of Comedy, matches the brilliance of Dionysus with a vivid and playful performance by Jessie Cannizzaro.

More chaos ensues as movie star and alumnus, Brooklyn (Steffanie Leigh) arrives to the college for homecoming weekend. She comes on to Ralph and suggests she play the title role in a film adaptation of ANDROMEDA. Ralph, infatuated by the celebrity's fame and sex appeal, must now also lie about the book's whereabouts to Brooklyn and the Dean.

Rounding out the cast is George Psomas, who plays a Greek souvenirs vendor, the Russian janitor Aleski, and the Greek God of War, Ares. All seven actors are terrific, with Oscar and Cannizzaro serving as the standouts with a lion's share of the laughs.

The unpolished script is a bit rough around the edges with several jokes that don't land, due to no fault of the actors. Even so, the play is an entertaining 100 minutes, even if it does not live up to Ludwig's past works, notably LEND ME A TENOR.

With many elements of farce, THE GODS OF COMEDY never leans too heavily on the slapstick or the absurd like Ludwig's other plays. The production does include strong direction from Amanda Dehnert and gorgeous, detailed sets from designer Jason Sherwood. All in all, THE GODS OF COMEDY delivers what is expected: adventure, laughs, and a happy ending.

Ken Ludwig'S THE GODS OF COMEDY is now playing at Princeton's Matthews Theater at the McCarter Theater Center through March 31. Tickets are available starting at $25. For more information, visit: https://www.mccarter.org/.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Tom Miller and McCarter Theater

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