Susan Granger’s review of “Intelejunt Dezyne” (Fairfield Theater Company in CT & National Arts Club in Manhattan)
If you’re looking for deliciously witty, sophisticated comedy, you can’t beat E. Katherine Kerr’s wickedly skewed Creationist concept of man’s being formed in God’s image – and its outrageous, unexpectedly fun-filled ramifications. Spanning a time frame from the dinosaurs thru the Old Testament to the present moment, it’s set in God’s office in Heaven. There’s God (James Noble of TV’s “Benson”), a somewhat befuddled and volatile fellow who has a terrible problem with spelling; his loyal, long-suffering assistant, Ernie Eternity (Chilton Ryan); and BZ, a.k.a Beelzebub (Bill Phillips), a young, hotshot executive who’s been recruited to help with the Creation, bringing in innovative ideas like homo sapiens, whom he embellishes with free will, consciousness, sin and religion. Rarely does a play so effortlessly combine the hilarious with the insightful. It’s so expertly – and perversely – poised that audience members find themselves constantly amused at the quirky absurdity of the human condition. James Noble is flat-out amazing with a veteran’s expert instinct for timing; he’s equally convincing with reflexive rage and gleeful wonderment. Chilton Ryan is engaging as the cleverly comical straight-man, while Bill Phillips slyly relishes his calculated subterfuge. With fresh, completely disarming naturalness, writer/director E. Katherine Kerr pulls off a minor miracle, keeping the smart one-liners bouncing while introducing cunningly-constructed, thought-provoking possibilities. Even the most jaded will get a surprise or two. You’ll laugh, guffaw, giggle, chuckle and smile. It’s absolutely impossible not to enjoy this warm, wacky and wondrously inventive comedy.