Mind over stigmata: Troy Conrad plays the first-century Palestinian socialist Yeshua ibn Yosef.

God Is Dead Funny

Religion’s busting out all over at the Fringe.

by J. Cooper Robb

It’s the Holy Church of Fringe this year at the Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe, with numerous shows focusing on religion and spirituality.

Troy Conrad’s Religion Is Retarded show is a solo comedy that takes dead aim at the hypocrisy of the so-called moral majority.

Once a devout fundamentalist, Conrad spent his young adult life trying to “save” everyone he came in contact with, including his Korean Buddhist neighbors. He was so zealous in his beliefs that he destroyed his precious collection of rock ’n’ roll albums fearing the music would lead him to embrace Satan.

Conrad says he eventually awoke to the perils of confusing superstition with fact, leading him to conceive Retarded, which seeks to illuminate the myriad problems caused by blind obedience to religious mythology.

A mix of standup, short films, animation and improvisation, Retarded features none other than Jesus Christ as its central character. Christ begins the show decrying the “spiritual retardation” caused by religion, such as Pat Robertson’s declaration that Hurricane Katrina was retribution for New Orleans’ gay pride parade.

More of a standup comic than a pious savior, Christ’s comedy routine features quips like: “I don’t have a personal relationship with George W. Bush. All his prayers go right into my spam folder.”

A video clip in Retarded shows Conrad dressed as Christ on a visit to the evangelical church where Ted Haggard served as pastor before he was caught
with a male prostitute. “I was handing out American flags and the people seemed really happy to be receiving a flag from Jesus,” Conrad says. “The parishioners thought I was a mascot hired by the church. It was all kind of weird and scary.”

Although the show aims to entertain, Conrad says he hopes Retarded will also awaken people to the dangers of unwavering faith in religious leaders. “I think Jesus would be upset to see the sort of things being done in his name by some leaders of the evangelical movement,” says Conrad. “The Jesus I portray is a unifier, not the guy who hates gay people and takes America’s side in every war.”

Another show addressing evangelism is Brian Osborne’s The Word, in which Osborne portrays the real-life Pentecostal preacher-turned-actor Marjoe Gortner. The quintessential performer/preacher, Gortner was a spiritualist (with the stage presence of a rock star) who garnered widespread fame with the award-winning 1971 documentary Marjoe. “My hope is that audiences will view Marjoe through the lens of what we know about evangelism now,” says Osborne. Word avoids political commentary, content to focus on a complicated and intensely charismatic man with the ability to influence thousands of people hungry for something to believe in.

If you’re looking for a dose of Judaism at the festival, head to the Jewish Artists Collective dual productions Heebs in the House: Oy the Drama and Heebs in the House: Word to Your Zada! According to the Collective’s director Ross Berkowitz, the group adopted the word “Heebs” (with its racist connotations) as a way to “reclaim the humor and fun within Judaism.” Teaming up with the improvisational theater company Tongue and Groove
on Drama, and with Todd Young and His Rock Band on Zada, the productions use poetry, spoken word, improvisation and music in an attempt to reveal the richness of Jewish culture to Jewish and non-Jewish audiences alike.

Christianity and spirituality are at the forefront of composer/librettist Bruce Trinkley and lyricist Jason Charnesky’s Confess/Confuse. Charnesky says the original idea for the collection of four “micro-musicals” came from his desire to refute the perception of Eve as an “eternal tease, a little girl who never grew out of flirting.”

The show opens by focusing on Eve long after her expulsion from the garden. Now a mature, experienced woman, we see her as someone who has gained wisdom from a life filled with labor and profound sorrow. “I wanted to show Eve in all the ordinariness of life,” Charnesky explains. “We encounter spirituality in the ordinary, not on burning mountain tops or in magic gardens.”

Confess/Confuse
Sat., Sept. 1
1:30pm and 9:30pm, and Sun., Sept. 2, 9pm
$10
Second Stage at the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St.

Heebs in the House: Oy, the Drama
Sun., Sept. 9pm
5pm
$10
Gershman Y, 401 S. Broad St.

Heebs in the House: Word to Your Zada!
Sat., Sept. 8, 7pm
$10
Lucy’s Hat Shop
247 Market St.

Religion Is Retarded
Tues., Sept. 4 Through Sept. 9
Tues. Sept 4th @ 5:30pm
Wed. Sept. 5th @ 8pm
Thur. Sept. 6th @ 5pm
Fri. Sept. 7th @ 5:30pm
Sat. Sept. 8th @ 9pm
Sun. Sept. 9th @ 8pm
$15
Walking Fish Theatre
2509 Frankford Ave.

The Word
Fri., Sept. 7 Through Sept. 9
10pm
$15.
Christ Church Neighborhood House
20 N. American St.


215.413.1318.
www.livearts-fringe.org