Palo Alto Players Opens 90th Season With Livestream Of AN ACT OF GOD

God is appearing live from Palo Alto for the first time ever and She's got a lot to say! Palo Alto Players opens its 90th anniversary season with a fully livestreamed production of the sinfully funny, irreverent comedy AN ACT OF GOD, the first Broadway play based on a Twitter feed, written by 13-time Emmy Award winner David Javerbaum.

Directed by legendary Bay Area comedian Debi Durst, this heavenly cast of three (Emily Scott as God, joined by her two socially-distanced archangels played by Steve Schwartz and Brandon Silberstein) will perform all eleven shows live from their living room production studios, broadcast directly to your home. AN ACT OF GOD runs September 4 through 20, 2020 in the virtual universe. Streaming tickets are on sale now at paplayers.org or by phone at 650.329.0891.

The One with the first and last word on everything has finally arrived to set the record straight. After many millennia, and in just 90 minutes, God (assisted by Her devoted angels) answers some of the deepest questions that have plagued mankind since Creation, such as: why did She decide to create the universe, which sports team does God choose when they all pray to Her for a win, and what does She think of Kanye West? Written by David Javerbaum, the multi Emmy Award-winning head writer of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and creator of Twitter's massively followed @TheTweetOfGod, this hit comedy AN ACT OF GOD treats audiences to a hilarious side of divinity unlike any other. Time Out New York called it "Clever and refreshingly positive."

"An Act of God was originally going to grace the Lucie Stern stage last June," said Artistic Director Patrick Klein. "Not to be deterred by a pesky pandemic (and I'm sure you'll have some questions about that, like "Why, God, why?"), She has gracefully postponed her visit and pivoted to our modern version of church: Zoom. What better format for a play that began as a series of posts on Twitter? Bay Area actress Emily Scott is an explosion of divine talent, athleticism, and energy. Just the perfect person to be our God. And by partnering her with director Debi Durst, herself a legendary local comic, and Steven Schwartz and Brandon Silberstein as her 'wing' men, I'm sure you'll agree we have a streaming performance not to be missed!"

AN ACT OF GOD is directed by legendary Bay Area comedian Debi Durst. Durst is an improviser, actor, director and producer and has performed with every improv group in the Bay Area starting with The Committee all the way up to The Bad Aunties. As an actor Durst has appeared with Marin Shakespeare Company in Romeo & Juliet, Cymbeline, (2015 BATCC Award), and Much Ado About Nothing and with Palo Alto Players as Madame Arcati in Blithe Spirit and as Penny Sycamore in You Can't Take It With You. As a director she's helmed productions of Bullshot Crummond, Noises Off, The Sunshine Boys, Father of the Bride, It Can't Happen Here, and The Savannah Sipping Society for the Pacifica Spindrift Players. She produces San Francisco's Comedy Celebration Day and The Big Fat Year End Kiss Off Comedy Show. In 2017 Durst got the location in Golden Gate Park where Comedy Day is held officially changed to Robin Williams Meadow.

The creative team includes scenography by Scott Ludwig, lighting design by Matt Web, costume design by Melissa Sanchez, and sound design by Jeff Grafton. Technical advisory by Grant Huberty.

Tickets for AN ACT OF GOD can be purchased online at paplayers.org, or by phone at 650.329.0891 (Tuesday through Friday, 11am - 4pm). Streaming performances begin on September 5 and continue through September 20, with a paid preview performance on September 4. Performance times are Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm, all in Pacific Standard Time. Recognizing the ongoing pandemic and to keep theatre accessible to all during this time, Palo Alto Players is offering streaming tickets to AN ACT OF GOD on a 'pay what you choose' scale. Ticket prices range from $15 to $40.

In cooperation with The City of Palo Alto, Palo Alto Players in-person, staged productions are produced at the Lucie Stern Theater, located at 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto, California. Use of this facility is made possible through support from The City of Palo Alto, Community Services Department, Division of Arts and Sciences, and from our patrons.

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