THE GOD GAME
THE POLITICS OF LOVE
But I love you
and we work
it out.
But if you lie?
No. No.
I couldn’t do it.
I would leave
you, I would.
by Yvonne Perry
- Lisa
So,
photos by Joe Schuyler
Brooke Shields was unavailable.
It was a few days before Proctors and Capital Repertory Theatre’s
first NEXT ACT! New Play Summit, in the fall of 2012, and
Producing Artistic Director Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill was trying
desperately to get some newsworthy names to come up from
New York to read Suzanne Bradbeer’s The God Game at the
GE Theatre that weekend.
Aidan Quinn had been ready to make the trip in order to play
Tom, but Hurricane Sandy threw a wrench in the production
schedule for his TV show, Elementary, and he had to cancel.
And Brooke wasn’t returning her calls.
Maggie believed the play was good (it had
already been workshopped and had several
smaller readings in New York) and she felt
that if she got people in the seats, they’d
learn what she already knew—that this play
was ready to be taken to the next step in its
development.
I knew it, too.
I’d first heard about the play earlier that
year, as I was on the selection committee
for NEXT ACT!, and had been reading
submissions all summer.
I knew that the play had a lot of things
going for it, including topical, contemporary
themes and sharp, witty dialogue—simple
concepts for a playwright, but definitely, judging from the
quality of many of the scripts I had already passed on, not so
easy to accomplish.
I also knew it had a lot going for it from a production point of
view. As readers, we had learned to keep a sharp eye focused
on the potential for a script to actually be produced on a stage
like the one here at theREP. So, after I finally read The God
Game, I was happy to note some promising things about the
play’s production values, like a single set, a small cast and a
linear plot.
What really surprised me, though, were its characters. It is a
testament to Suzanne Bradbeer’s skill as a writer that Matt,
Tom and Lisa are so well drawn that you not only believe that
they are real, but you want them to be real. They are extremely
confident in their lives, personally and professionally, yet there
are moments in this play of true insecurity and fallibility. Their
success does not mean that they do not sometimes falter, and
the result is a fascinating glimpse inside the world of some very
interesting people.
THE GOD GAME Edition
MAY 2 – MAY 25
When my phone rang, you can be sure I called Maggie right
back!
After its initial November 2012 reading, the response was clear;
this was the play theREP would choose to produce as part of its
new mission to promote the next great American play.
People who attended that reading responded to what I consider
one of the glories of this play—both the humor and the drama
come from personalities in conflict with an untenable situation,
not from any deep-seated dysfunction. These are people you
want to spend time with.
The God Game presents characters who
are rarely mean-spirited, always look for
light in the darkness and are certainly
never, ever dull.
When I heard that Kristen Courey was also
interested in directing the play at her theatre
in Naples, Florida, I wasn’t surprised. The
decision to present The God Game as
part of a rolling world premiere in coproduction with Gulfshore Playhouse was
exciting for the play’s development, but it
meant I would have to audition in NYC to
show Kristen that I was right to play Lisa. I
was grateful she was able to see how much
I loved and wanted to play this character.
Phew!
Next challenge: meeting Larry Lau and Jeff
Binder that first day of rehearsal and realizing we had less than
three weeks to learn to convincingly play people who had been
friends for over two decades…and the script wasn’t even final
yet!
To watch Suzanne rise to every challenge thrown her way, with
very little ego from her end, was a delight. She wanted to serve
these characters, too. Lines were cut, changed and added.
Sometimes entire scenes were removed. New speeches were
written. New angles explored.
What ended up happening was a collaborative process that
seemed to develop the script from the perspective of the
story serving the characters, rather than focusing on how the
characters fit the story. I know this isn’t how it always works, and
as an actor it was a thrilling experience.
Brooke Shields’ loss back in the fall of 2012 was my gain. MaryLouise Parker may get to be Lisa in New York; Julia Roberts will
probably play her in the movie. But I get to play her first, and
for now, she’s all mine. And I’m so happy I get the chance to
share her with you onstage at theREP.
SPECIAL EVENTS FOR THE GOD GAME
Opening Night Tuesday, May 6 – Enjoy live music from jazz guitarist John McIntosh before the show and meet the cast at a postshow champagne and dessert reception.
Chef’s Table Tuesday, May 13, 6:30pm – Enjoy live music from jazz guitarist John McIntosh and light hors d’oeuvres before the
show courtesy of The Merry Monk and La Serre.
Discussion NIGHTS Wednesday, May 14 & May 21 – Get the scoop from the cast and Artistic Director Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill at
the post-show discussion.
BEHIND-THE-SCENES w/Maggie Sunday, May 25 – This series features a pre-show “behind-the-scenes” discussion “How to Make
a Play, The Story of How New Plays Get Produced” with Producing Artistic Director Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill. A light continental breakfast
begins at 12:30pm, discussion 1-1:30pm and a 2pm curtain.
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