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Peer Reviews

THE BIBLE (ABRIDGED)

By Adam Long, Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor
Directed by GOD (With a tiny bit of help from Carol Dines)

Reviewed by Craig Nolan Highley

Entire contents are copyright © 2008, Craig Nolan Highley. All rights reserved.

 

No, the above directing credit is not my attempt at a joke, it is the actual directing credit in the show's program. That should give you an idea of what level of humor you are in for when you sit down to watch this show.

On a bare, dimly lit stage decorated with nothing but black curtains, three very funny guys goof around for two hours, reenacting stories from the Old Testament (Act One) and the New (Act Two). The results are mixed at best.

A great deal of the jokes are clunkers that may well make you groan. Three playwrights are credited, but the three performers are at their best when they ignore the script and do their own ad-libbing. It is at these moments they seem to be the most relaxed and comfortable.

In fact, it says a lot about the show that the highlight of the evening comes in Act Two when they invite members of the audience on stage to belatedly reenact the story of Noah's Ark; the night I watched, the audience members stole the show!

There were instances of blown lines and delayed lighting and sound queues which were noticeable, but the actors took it all in stride.

Of the three performers, Herschel Zahnd III came off best. His energy level never waivered, and he had some of the best moments playing all of the female characters in the show.

Though a flawed production, it was still a moderately entertaining evening thanks to strong performances overcoming a poor script.


 

The Bible (Abridged)
The Alley Theater at City Block
133 W. Liberty Street
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 589-3866
www.cityblocklouisville.com

April 13 - 26, 2008
Featuring Joey Arena, Scott Davis, and Herschel Zahnd III.

Posted April 20, 2008