Beyond Belief
BEYOND BELIEF HAS BEEN RECENTLY UPDATED AS THE PORCH
This one kinda came out of nowhere, at least in terms of its full-length status. In 1999, I wrote a ten-minute play for the Boston Theater Marathon. It was called ORAL REPORT and it was simply a discussion of the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal--by three old Irish Catholic ladies sitting on their front porch on a summer's evening. The play was staged by the New Repertory Theatre and directed by Adam Zahler. It was received extraordinarily well. In 2000 I put the ladies on the porch again and wrote ALTERNATIVE LIFESTYLE. More sex talk. This time I directed. Same thing in 2001. Three ladies. More sex talk. Late in the summer of 2002, I put these pieces together with a new 20-minute playlet I wrote for the same characters and I added two more non-related pieces, called the play SEX AND CATHOLICS, and staged a reading at the Firehouse Center in Newburyport with Bobbie Steinbach, Ellen Colton, Cheryl McMahon, John Budzyna and Laura Napoli. Another nice reception. I submitted the script to Spiro Veloudos, Artistic Director of the Lyric Stage Company of Boston. He was looking for a replacement for his January show and...badaboom...SEX AND CATHOLICS became BEYOND BELIEF and received a full production. It went very well. I realized that the main attraction of the piece was "The Porch Ladies" so I eliminated the non-related pieces, wrote scenes for the ladies' husbands, and added the "Young Man," who was something of a Narrator. In the fall of 2004, Ann Baker, along with New Century Theatre, produced the new version at CityStage in Springfield, Massachusetts. John Davin and Richard Snee played the husbands, and Marina Re replaced the previously-booked Bobbie Steinbach as "Gert." Nine performances. Nine standing ovations. I recognized, however, that even though the audience was thoroughly happy with the show, still, the script wasn't quite finished. So I have no done a new rewrite, eliminated the Narrator (too bad--Andy Dolan was wonderful in the part), and left the play in the hands of the three ladies and their two husbands. Now--the question is--where next?
Cast:
Gert - a woman around 70; brash, blunt; opinionated
Alma - also around 70; naive, curious, a little hard of hearing
Marjorie - again, around 70; stable, educated, a calming influence
Leo - around 70, Gert's husband; bantamlike, edgy
Pat - around 70, Marjorie's husband, grounded, a bit lethargic
Setting:
Alma's front porch in an urban neighborhood north of Boston.
Press:
“BEYOND BELIEF is a poignant, playful mix of sex and religion...Alternately hilarious, preposterous and tragic…” Ellen Pfiefer, the Boston Globe
“Jack Neary’s crowd-pleasing look at Catholicism (is an) entertainment (which) shrewdly, if coyly, lampoons Catholics’ repressed attitudes about sexuality. The writing is…effective, largely due to the deeply touching performance of Colton as a woman wrestling with a long-hidden secret.” Robert Nesti, the Boston Herald.
“BEYOND
BELIEF: Faith can be fun...(The final playet),SECRETS, which deals with priestly
celibacy and the issues facing the church today, steps back from the comedy
and offers a one-two dramatic punch as Alma shares her family’s secrets
with her friends in a stirring, thought-provoking climax...(BEYOND BELIEF
is played) for laughs and gets plenty…But in the end it is the poignant
‘why and how did it happen?’ question that reverberates through
(the play), proving once again Neary’s ability to elicit serious reflection
through the laughter and tears.”
Nancye Tuttle, the Lowell Sun
"Neary has created a perfect mix for his cutting laceration of blind-faith, religious conservatism. The four Gert, Alma, Marjorie playlets showcase some of the best comedy/parody writing, direction and performances I've experienced in my 40+ years in the theatre." Larry Blumsack, Theatre New England
“‘Beyond Belief,’ filling CityStage with laughter until Oct. 10…features pinpoint performance and the very best in comic timing...as individuals in their senior years converse about sexuality, mortality, the Catholic Church, and, quite delightfully, their relationships with one another...The punch lines are…imaginative and fresh...Neary has a knack for injecting one-line gems at appropriate moments. The second act of the play provides for higher drama as Neary's tone and choice of subject matter grows serious. The scandal centering upon Catholic priests becomes pivotal...The show concludes as all cast members join voices for a sweet rendering of the theme song for "Beyond Belief," the rock and roll classic, ‘Only You.’ The entire opening night audience rewarded fine work with a standing ovation...Neary has been an active presence in Western Massachusetts theater. This is surely one of his finest efforts.” Fred Sokol, Springfield Republican
SEE COMPLETE REVIEW QUOTE SHEET
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Read an EXCERPT
Check out Melissa Wagner's remarkable BEYOND BELIEF POSTER
ORAL REPORT, ALTERNATIVE LIFESTYLE and THREE-PEAT, the play which introduced the Porch Ladies, are currently available by contacting Baker's Plays.
For further information, contact jackneary3@aol.com
Or, you may purchase a perusal copy via PayPal by visiting Jack Neary's ScriptStore.
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