Hell:
Paradise Found is a funny and lighthearted look at the
assumptions we make with regards to the afterlife. Produced by the University of Alabama, this
show is probably reaching a much less religious audience here in New York than
it would in the South. But Hell: Paradise
Found neither depends on religion, nor does it mock the religious among us. The show is a simply a different way of
looking at Heaven and Hell.
.
It all
starts as Simon Ackerman, everyman lawyer played by Matt Lewis, wakes up in an
Interview room trying to catch up with an Interviewer determined to hurry
through the process. It is pretty
quickly explained that Mr. Ackerman has passed away, and after a cursory
interview is sent off to Heaven. But,
when Hell is denied to him, Hell suddenly intrigues Mr. Ackerman. He sets out to find why he isn’t accepted into
Pit of Doom. And he finds that
assumptions, particularly about the afterlife, can be right and wrong at the
same time.
.
Playwright
Seth Panitch has taken a clever idea, and expanded it into a well written piece. It is a play that treats religion
respectfully, but without undue reverence. In Hell, Mr. Ackerman sees a litany of characters,
Mother Teressa, Lizzie Bordon, Don Juan - but not Princess Di, she is in
Heaven. God and Lucifer make an appearance
as well, old friends across the millennium. Only Archangel Gabriel is portrayed
unfavorably, Gabriel is an officious toady in Hell: Paradise Found.
.
The acting
is best when limited to a single character, Dianne Teague as God and Seth
Panitch as The Interviewer both turn in first rate performances. Most of the rest of the cast is enthusiastic
but inconsistent. They are often
excellent in the well written roles, Eve, Gabriel or Don Juan for example, but
they are less convincing in quicker roles that rely on the audiences’
familiarity with them, Vlad the Impaler, Shakespeare or Lizzie Borden. Regardless, many of these actors show amazing
promise and you should keep an eye out for them in the future.
.
The
energy the cast gives off is engaging. Occasionally
a joke will fall flat, but another comes right up so the pace doesn’t flag. The cast never gives less than 100% and
their joy is infectious.
Hell:
Paradise Found is a fun show, see it and enjoy.
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Hell: Paradise Found
Playwright and Director: Seth Panitch
Cast: Matt Lewis, Dianne Teague, Chip Persons, Lawson Hangartner, Peyton Conley, Alexandra Ficken, Stacy Panitch, Seth Panitch
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