Review: 'The God Game' at Square One Theatre

Photo from THE GOD GAME courtesy of Square One (from left) Danielle Sultini, Kiel Stango, David Victor

Dedicated to the memory of Austin N. Sasso of Stratford, on the first anniversary of his death

Stratford, CT - THE GOD GAME is a play by Suzanne Bradbeer. Tom Holehan directed the production that opens the 29th season at Square One Theatre Company in Stratford. Richard P. Pheneger is the general manager of Square One. Performances are presented on the stage of the auditorium in Stratford Academy.

THE GOD GAME is a play that was written four years ago. The issues brought up by this well-written play were timely then, but perhaps are even more timely given current evidence of religious intolerance and midterm political situation.

What is THE GOD GAME all about? Tom is a Virginia Senator and a rising star in the Republican Party. Then a long-time family friend unexpectedly resurfaces and offers the him the opportunity of a lifetime. Now Tom faces a crisis of conviction, dubbed his “God problem,” while his 20 year marriage to Lisa hangs precariously in the balance. This is billed as a play about “faith and politics, marriage and friendship, choices and consequences.”

The action is set in Tom’s home office in Richmond on a present day Saturday in August. Set design by Robert Mastroni worked well in the shorter space available, allowing for four rows of comfortable chairs to be set up for patrons. The set decoration features a large painting of the founding fathers, most notably Thomas Jefferson, who we discover cut and pasted his own Bible. The massive work reminded me of the musical 1776, but I was probably the only one in the room who made that particular connection. The wall art and very old lamp were juxtaposed against a Dell laptop on the senator’s desk and frequent cell phone use.

There were some definitely funny parts but most of the play was quietly serious and thought provoking. A short scene with a dying bird brought the outside world temporarily into the small office. The wonderful cast all did a great job of bringing the well-drawn characters to life.

David Victor of Fairfield was a natural as the gentleman from Virginia in his ninth Square One production. Danielle Sultini of Milford, in her 13th time on the Square One stage, did well as the devout Lisa who simply wanted to celebrate the couple’s 20th anniversary in peace. Kiel Stango of Waterbury was most effective in the role of the family friend Matt who once had a strong tie to the family of the senator. Mr. Stango earned his Master in Film/TV production from Sacred Heart University and is currently a visual arts teacher at Chase Collegiate School in Waterbury.

There was incidental music around the two acts presented with one intermission that evoked the state of Virginia. Costumes coordinated by Gaetana Grinder and Kerry Lambert worked for the contemporary setting and lighting by Clifford Fava was effective. My one quibble with the Square One casting choices was the fact that the three actors did not appear to be close enough in age to be the college classmates that is mentioned in the script. Perhaps one or more were older than they appeared to be.

The first female mayor of Stratford and Square One season subscriber, Laura Hoydick, sat across the aisle from me and stayed after for a talk back with Mr. Holehan. He is a co-founder of the Connecticut Critics Circle and has directed all 81 productions for Square One Theatre since its inception of 1990.

Congratulations to the winners of last season’s Subscriber Awards. They include Alexander Kulcsar for Outstanding Actor in THE ABSOLUTE BRIGHTNESS OF LEONARD PELKEY, Erma Elliott for Outstanding Featured Actress in WHITE GUY ON A BUS, Ian Diedrich for Outstanding Featured Actor in WHITE GUY ON A BUS, and Janet Rathert for Outstanding Actress in WHITE GUY ON A BUS.

The play continues Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Sunday, Nov. 18, at Stratford Academy.Stratford Academy, 719 Birdseye St., Stratford. Nov. 9-11 and 16-18. $22, $20 seniors and students. 203-375-8778,www.squareonetheatre.com

Nancy Sasso Janis has been writing theatre reviews since 2012 as a way to support local theatre venues. She posts reviews of well over 100 productions each year. In 2016, she became a member of the Connecticut Critics Circle.She continues to contribute theatre news, previews, and audition notices to local Patch sites. Reviews of all levels of theatrical productions are posted on Naugatuck Patch and the Patch sites closest to the venue. Follow the reviewer on her Facebook pages Nancy Sasso Janis: Theatre Reviewer and on Twitter @nancysjanis417 Check out the NEW CCC Facebook page.