Through snappy dialogue, odd situations and the help of a few songs, SE Campus’ production of “I Have Angered a Great God” explores etiquette and self-awareness in the modern age.
The play follows Roberta, a woman constantly on her phone with her quirky ex-bestfriend Martha, who retraces her steps with the melodramatic therapist Jones to find out how she angered a Tiki god with anger-management issues.
“I Have Angered a Great God” takes viewers through flashbacks of absurd situations and, like most of McEntire’s plays, features song and dance numbers. The play is written by SE adjunct Brad McEntire and will be his third play performed at SE Campus.
An experienced playwright, McEntire also works in non-profit theater. He originally planned to have the play take place through text messages but ultimately decided against it.
“Watching a person text is about as theatrical as watching paint dry,” he said in an email. “It is utterly boring and isolating in life to watch someone text in front of you. So, texts became spoken conversations for the sake of the play.”
SE student Emma Woodley plays therapist Jones, who is treating both Roberta and the Tiki god for their problems. Despite being a last-minute addition after a fellow actor got hurt and was unable to fill the role, Woodley said she was happy with how the show was coming together.
“It’s been pretty challenging, but also kind of rewarding,” she said. “I know it’s really hard to not have the full amount of time to fully get it, but I think it’s gonna go well.”
In the opening act, therapist Jones tries to help Roberta and the Tiki God work through their problems but often goes on tangents about her personal life. Woodley said Jones is the only sane character in the entire play.
“She’s the one that’s connected to every single character,” she said. “She’s trying to make sure the great God doesn’t get angry. She’s trying to understand what Roberta did. She’s trying to understand Martha and her crazy, awesome mind. It’s like she’s the one that kind of pieces everybody together.”
“I Have Angered a Great God” will be SE student Tamia Tubbs’ first main role in a play. She plays the now-ex-best-friend Martha and said the experience of working on the play has been great.
“I go home like, rehearse, rehearse, rehearse,” she said. “I want to make sure I get my lines down. Make sure I’m very clear, make sure I got the dance right.”
McEntire wrote the play after noticing how unaware of each other people have gotten in recent years. He said etiquette has been one of the casualties of contemporary culture.
“It helps us get along as people,” he said in an email. “I miss a certain level of empathy, decorum and politeness that used to be a part of everyday life. It might be my imagination, but people used to seem aware of each other without treating each other as, you know, other.”
For Tubbs, the play is about not being distracted by your phone all the time.
“Personally, I am on my phone a lot, but I’m very aware of my surroundings,” she said. “I wouldn’t relate to Roberta and her situation. I think I’ll make someone mad because I’m too focused on my phone.”
The play will run from March 12 -14.
Admission is pay what you can and was done to make the play as accessible as possible. Donations will go to scholarships for students in the theater department.
Woodley said viewers should turn their phones off for this play.
“Stop scrolling it and just enjoy,” she said. “This is a show about etiquette and phone etiquette, and then just pay attention and be aware of your surroundings.
