No doubt the Paramount Theatre’s BOLD Series is trying to live up to its name when it invited the creator of the universe onto its Copley Theatre stage in downtown Aurora.
In this case, it’s Alex Weisman, fresh off an impressive Broadway run, who takes on the titular role in the Tony Award-winning “An Act of God,” now playing through Nov. 10 in downtown Aurora.
And the 37-year-old actor certainly does have big shoes to fill in his Paramount debut, not just because he’s playing the Almighty, but is doing so for 80 minutes in what can best be described as a one-man show except for a few critical but short interruptions from his two sidekick archangels, Michael and Gabriel.
And so, the first question I posed to the Chicago-trained and two-time Jeff Award-winning actor was this: How the heck do you memorize that much dialogue?
Weisman, who performed in Broadway’s Tony Award-winning “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” for six years, quickly admitted it was a challenge.
“This was a different ballgame” from plays with “scene partners” where conversations “go back and forth” and “inspire you to respond,” he told me.
For the most part it was just Weisman and the audience. No intermissions. No backstage breaks. For an hour and 20 minutes.
Which meant he had to tackle the 32-page script not so much as a stand-up routine, Weisman told me, but by understanding “the long con” of the production, which in theater terms means identifying the main objective or idea of this show.
Once Weisman figured out what “An Act of God” was really all about – a story of God breaking up with the human race – “it was easier to maneuver my way through the script,” Weisman noted.
Which, by the way, he memorized in six weeks with a whole lot of “drilling, drilling, drilling,” usually by tackling the script in increments of a half-page a day, then sitting down with a friend to see how far he could get as he made his way through Emmy-winning writer/producer David Javerbaum’s reworking of the 10 Commandments.
As you might surmise, the play could be viewed as controversial because of its satirical – some would say sacrilegious – questioning of the Bible. But the play is not anti-religion, and in fact it ends with words of encouragement that include all of us taking more personal responsibility to make the Creator’s world a better place to live.
Besides, I’d like to think God not only has a sense of humor, he would like us to give more thought to his role as our universal parent. In fact, it was “this story of a loving father,” much like the one who raised him, said Weisman, that drew him so close to this role.
Born with a heart condition that required four surgeries, and later surviving a bout with cancer while working on Broadway, Weisman has faced plenty of his own crosses. But through it all, including his decision to pursue “a far-fetched dream” in theater, he took comfort in knowing his dad was with him every step of the way.
“I love Jesus more since doing this play,” the Jewish-raised Weisman insisted, referring to the relationship between God and the son he supported on a harrowing journey through life.
“It really is a very pro-faith play … perhaps a little anti-human,” said Weisman, noting how often mankind “has taken and weaponized so much of the Bible.”
Just to be clear, “An Act of God” is satirical. It’s cynical. It’s not for everyone. And truth be told, after the audience gave Weisman and his archangels (played by Em Modaff and Michael Turrentine) a standing ovation, I wasn’t all that sure what my thoughts were.
But I did keep thinking about this show – and questioning – which is what I tend to do after performances in the BOLD Series. And that brings me back to the original query I had for Weisman about the challenges of so much solo dialogue.
“Don’t you ever forget a line that can really throw your performance off?”
Weisman admitted to sometimes getting lost in a sentence. However, “the fabric is woven deeply enough,” he added, referring to his mastery of the script, “that I can stumble and find myself quickly.
“But tell your readers I was flawless,” he quipped.
Indeed, in this kind of heavenly role, nothing less will suffice.
dcrosby@tribpub.com
