Heaven or Hell? ...Well, it's a toss up! Come see the premiere of the new Jeff Tenney play, "Even the Devil Likes a Good Story," where the Devil has to decide what to do with some of the more controversial and, in some cases, notorious figures in history, including Mark Twain, Tammy Faye Bakker, the Ayatollah Khomeni, and Christopher Hitchens--"all of whom," says Tenney, "have some sort of a reputation in the afterlife that they have to deal with when they get there." The production of Tenney's play, just completed earlier this year, is by George Cron's "A Class Act Productions" and will take place in the "Blue Room" at Billiards of Springfield, 541 E. St. Louis Street, just in time for the local Skepticon convention... scheduling that was entirely" intentional," says Tenney. "Actually, I was thinking about Skepticon and that audience. I first wrote a more serious piece, then I thought 'Wait a minute! They've been listening to serious stuff all day in workshops--let's give 'em something to laugh at." He adds, "I never thought a writing a play until I moved to this community about three years ago."
The production's director, Amy Newsome, says she's a "really big supporter of local playwrights. I love to produce new stuff." She singles out David Logan, saying "he's doing wonderfully" playing the lead role of the Devil. "It's typecasting," jokes Logan. In the production, Logan says Satan embodies different "characters depending on who he's talking tol. Like when I talk to (Christopher) Hitchens," and he affects a proper upper-crust British accent. For his conversations with Mark Twain he talks with a "South'n plantation ownah-type effect... but at the root of things (Satan)'s a Texan!"
Amy Newsome notes that Jesus also makes an appearance in the show (as does Mohammed)... only this Jesus is female. How did that casting decision come about? She laughs and says, "Jeff said I could do it, so I said 'okay'!" Jeff Tenney explains: "Part of the deal here is that in this afterlife, things can be a little flexible, plastic, so people can look like what they want to look like"--even assume a different gender.
All three acknowledge that the Devil "has his hands full" with this group of famous folk. "He doesn't know what to do with this group, actually," says David Logan. Adds playwright Jeff Tenney, "he's kinda sorry he woke up that day!"
Performances of "Even the Devil Likes a Good Story" by George Cron's "A Class Act Productions", will be Thursday through Sunday Nov.20-23 at Billiards of Springfield, 541 E. St.Louis Street. Tickets are $6.50 (Cron says he flirted with the idea of setting the ticket price at $6.66, but decided that was too complicated!), and food and drinks will be available. Must be 18 or older. For more information call 766-3139 or email aclassact@georgecron.com.