The power that patriarchal Christianity has over its believers is the subject of Man of God, Anna Ouyang Moench’s new play which just opened in the Geffen Playhouse’s small space.
Actually, this is the second Geffen opening for the play, as it premiered in 2020 and ran for nine performances before COVID shut it down. Kudos to the Geffen for bringing it back in a nifty, scintillating production that captivates from beginning to end.
Man of God is set in a Bangkok hotel room occupied by four Korean-American high school girls. They have come from L.A. on an evangelical mission overseen by their young pastor (Albert Park). The girls (Shirley Chen, Emma Galbraith, Erin Rae Li, and Ji-Young Yoo)are excited to be away from home, on their own in an exotic city. Two of them are True Believers, the other two are irreverent about Christianity and its doctrines. They spend their time gabbing, joking, swapping insults, wondering about boys and sex. In short, they’re typical teenagers, unsure of the world and their place in it. Then comes the big revelation that turns a teen comedy into an adult drama.
One of them discovers a hidden camera in their bathroom. The shock of discovering that they are being watched in their most intimate moments is compounded when they realize that the culprit could only be their pastor. This man of God, this father figure and spiritual leader, is unmasked as a predatory creep and a voyeur.
After the anger and horror subside they begin to discuss how they can get back at the pastor, stick it to this disgusting male. Each of the girls comes up with a revenge fantasy that is acted out in a savagely satirical way. Their tears turn to bold, bawdy laughter. They grow up before our eyes, become not just girls but women. But then the pastor suddenly knocks on their door and their confrontation with him leads to the play’s surprising, painful conclusion.
Man of God is directed by Maggie Burrows (who also directed Trayf at the Geffen just a few months ago). She sees to it that this play moves along at a snappy, well-choreographed pace. When you add excellent acting to the mix, you can’t help but have a positive response to the production.
