Julia Sweeney: Letting Go of God

In Letting Go of God Sweeney traces her journey from devout Catholic, through her explorations of various alternative religions, to (as you might surmise from the title) her ultimate arrival at atheism. She handles potentially difficult material with skill, conveying with neither arrogance nor bitterness how she comes to believe what she does. She infuses her skepticism with a sense of wonder and awe at the natural order of things. She covers her subject with depth and craft, thoroughly exploring the emotional highs and lows of the material. She's touching, and very funny, and the audience rewarded her with an enthusiastic standing ovation. If I have one criticism, it is that she should pause during laughter and applause so that we don't miss anything.

It was fun to go to the party afterwards at a coffeeshop adjacent to the theatre. I recognized a few people in the room, including Michael Shermer of Skeptic Magazine.

The show has been extended through January 2005. I recommend it.

http://www.plays411.com/website/htmlconsumer/play_info.asp?show_id=139

UPDATE 12/24/2004:

I pass along the following excerpt from E-Skeptic #47

Permission to print, distribute, and post with proper citation and acknowledgment. Copyright 2004 Michael Shermer, Skeptics Society, Skeptic magazine, e-Skeptic magazine. Contact at www.skeptic.com and skepticmag@aol.com.

Great Reviews for Julia Sweeney's Letting Go of God

Julia Sweeney's one-woman show, Letting Go of God, began over a year ago as a work in progress at a hilarious Skeptics Society lecture. Now it's a full-fledged Los Angeles production, and a critical hit. Like excited grandparents showing baby pictures, we present the following great notices, and urge you to go see it if you're anywhere near LA.

The Los Angeles Times, in a review by Rob Kendt, (Oct. 14, 2004) titled "Finding God's Funny Bone" calls her show "brave, hilarious" and a "gale-force breath of fresh air." Kendt noted that "the humbly sage Sweeney has needling questions that can't be swatted away... While she scores some easy, flawlessly deadpan laughs at the expense of Mormonism, Deepak Chopra, astrology and Catholicism, the tradition she says she was happily raised in, she is after much bigger game than cheap disdain. As she says to an imaginary God she's at last parting with near show's end: 'It's because I take you so seriously that I can't bring myself to believe in you."

Notes Kendt, "Sweeney delivers her monologue with her trademark blend of ironic confidentiality and best friend candor. "Believers of all stripes and intensities, as well as non-believers who may scoff a little too facilely will be challenged and disarmed with stick-in-your-throat laughter by Sweeney's utterly uncynical, blusteringly honest testimony."

The L.A. Weekly placed "Letting Go Of God" in its Pick Of The Week and then its "recommended" spot. L.A. Weekly's Steve Mikulan wrote: "At times 'Letting Go Of God' is gruesomely funny, especially when, during a Bible Study Class, Sweeney discovers the Old Testament's Cro-Magnon bigotry, while imagining the Christian Book of Revelation as a bad acid trip."

Wenzel Jones, for Backstage West (Oct. 20, 2004) began his review by saying: "My vocabulary is deficient in superlatives... What she achieves, though, is a quiet perfection, accompanied rich laughter, which gently takes you by the hand and leads you through -- to employ the previous working title of the piece -- her beautiful loss-of-faith story."

Jones adds, "Watching Sweeney shamble about the lovely set, which is piled high with books and religious imagery, is like being privileged to spend a couple of hours alone with your very favorite person as she putts about her way-cool house." He concluded, "Sweeney may have lost her faith in God, but she's certainly restored mine in theater."

Julio Martinez wrote in Variety, "Sweeney is a consummate storyteller with exquisite comic timing." Jeff Favre, writing for The Daily Breeze wrote: "This show is one of the most captivating, intelligent and emotionally honest pieces of theatre to come along in many years." Les Spindle, in Frontiers, wrote "This heartfelt and cerebral show leaves one with the warm glow of a consummate artist at the peak of her craft."

Tickets are available at plays411.com/god or by calling 323-960-4420, and there's more info at LettingGoOfGod.com Plus, there will be eggnog and cookies at the December 25th performance for all good skeptics. It only runs through January, so don't miss it!

UPDATE 2/19/2006
Julia Sweeney has a blog now. News of her forthcoming CD and movie can be found there.