An Act of God Brings a Message and laughs From the Lord Via Sally Wingert at Six Points Theater

God visited Six Points Theater in the person of Twin Cities Actor Sally Wingert this weekend. If you missed it, fear not, the lord will be spreading the good word through May 18th. The purpose of this visit is to reveal the new and improved ten commandments. There are a few favorites making a return on the list such as “I am the Lord thy God, King of the Universe. Thou shalt have no other Gods before Me.” and “Thou shalt not take My name in vain.” but it’s the inclusion of others like “Thou shalt not tell others whom to fornicate” that promise to make this new big ten controversial and ensure it’s a best seller. It’s hard to imagine a modern day list ever gaining the popularity of the original in this day and age of niche culture, but if so desired, God obviously has the power to make it happen. One can see why God decided to use Sally Wingert as a vessel to share this message. Some of it like the one addition I revealed above might not go over so well with those who claim to be God’s most devoted fans. Wingert’s distinct delivery adds much humor and much like Mary Poppins’ spoonful of sugar, it is that which helps the medicine go down.

In order to present these new commandments in a way that will feel familiar to us, God has chosen what feels like a talk show approach. Assisted by two Angels Michael, in the corporal form of Kevin Brown Jr. and Gabriel inhabiting the body of Andrew Newman. Michael roams the theater taking questions from the minds of audience members for God while Gabriel runs sound effects and shares bible quotes. I must say that Brown and Newman are perfect little angels. Obviously, the chance to see God should not be missed and I really appreciated God’s decision to share this information in such an intimate and down to earth way. God really opens up and it’s surprising how funny our world is when you see it through God’s eyes. While I’m certainly going to miss such staples of morality as “though shalt not bear false witness (lie)”, I can certainly see why in todays climate that one had to go. I do look forward to the opportunity to covet my neighbors wive and ox going forward. I also appreciated that while going through the new ten commandments that God was willing to go off topic and discuss things that have always been stumbling blocks for me, like how all those animals fit in Noahs Ark. So even if you aren’t a big “rules” person there will be plenty of information God has to share and it’s guaranteed to but a smile on your face and have you laughing out loud.

An Act of God was written by David Javerbaum and Directed by Craig Johnson with great panache. It’s bold, confident and wildly funny, deftly performed with the unique comedic voice of Sally Wingert. Who, if not an actual God, is certainly a God-like figure in the Twin Cities theater scene. Six Points Theater’s production of An Act of God runs through May 18th at the Highland Park Community Center. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.sixpointstheater.org/an-act-of-god

Now more than ever in the wake of the most recent election and the hailstorm of stupidity and hate it has unleashed, theater companies need you and we need them. Buy tickets to shows, go out and support work that reflects diversity and inclusiveness. Donate to your favorite theater companies, don’t wait until they are on the brink of shutting down. We all need to stand up and fight for our theaters whose funding is under attack for promoting inclusion, equality and diversity. In short, theaters are being threatened for sharing stories that reflect our countries cultural and racial diversity.

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