10. Holiday Music
Making God Laugh is composed of four different scenes, each taking place during a different holiday gathering. The holidays displayed in the show include Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve, and Easter. Accompanying these holidays is some great holiday music. Of course we have your classic Christmas tunes, but our sound designer, Michael Smith, has also compiled music relating to each of the other holidays.
9. The Set
Scenic Designer Jeff Stander has designed a beautiful family's living room that may make you nostalgic for your mother's house, or whatever house you normally gathered at for family holidays. Knick knacks and mismatched furniture decorate the living room of Bill and Ruthie.
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| A "work in progress" shot of the Making God Laugh set |
Yes, our very own Virginia Smith is the director for this show. Virginia has been the Artistic Director for the Nebraska Repertory Theatre for nine years. Her other Rep directing credits include God of Carnage, Church Basement Ladies, Vino Veritas, Santaland Diaries, Souvenir: A Fantasia Life of Florence Foster Jenkins, Metamorphoses, Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol, Omnium Gatherum, Crimes of the Heart, and Dinnertime.
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| Virginia Smith Artistic Director of NRT |
This play takes place over the course of four decades, giving the audience a chance to really see the characters grow and evolve. We start in Thanksgiving 1980 followed by Christmas 1990 before moving to New Year's Eve 2000 and concluding with Easter 2010.
6. Becky Key Boesen and Melissa Epp
These Lincoln actresses are something special. In Making God Laugh they play a mother and daughter who quarrel often, Maddie and Ruthie. Becky just finished directing Much Ado About Nothing for Flatwater Shakespeare this June, and Melissa has been gradually overcoming a problem with losing her voice two years ago. To learn more about what Melissa has overcome, click here to read Jeff Korbelik's feature article on her. They are two talented and hard working women whose performances are not to be missed!
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| Melissa Epp and Becky Key Boesen as Ruthie and Maddie Thanks to Becky for the photo! |
All of our out-of-town Actors' Equity Association members are in this show, which essentially means they are professionally working actors. They include Alan Knoll as the father of the family, Bill, Mark McCarthy as the eldest son, Richard, and Dan Rodden as the youngest son, Thomas. All three are a delight to work with and a hoot to see onstage!
4. A Dramedy
Sean Grennan's play can be identified as a "dramedy", a "drama" and "comedy" in one. There are several comedic bits in the script that are quick-witted, but ultimately, the show tells the story of a family that is struggling to stay together. You'll get your humor and catharsis fix with this show.
3. Holiday Wear
We all have a grandmother or mother or aunt or sister who dons a very, shall we say, festive attire for each holiday gathering. Regardless of how legitimately fashionable their attire may be, it's always enjoyable to see and it often brightens the mood of the holiday. There is plenty of festive holiday wear in Making God Laugh, especially in Ruthie's apron sequence!
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| Ruthie's aprons for Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter |
The mother of the family, Ruthie, has a running joke in the show with her famous Fantasia Cheese Dip. She thinks the kids love it and she makes it for every holiday dinner, but in reality, the kids and her husband can't stand the dip. They just continually say they enjoy it to please her. Erica King, Props Mistress for NRT, has developed a truly disgusting recipe for this dip that you'll have to see to believe.
1. A Real Portrayal of Family Holidays
The number one reason you should see Making God Laugh, however, doesn't have anything to do with sets or costumes or props; it has to do with the story. The story of Bill, Ruthie, Richard, Maddie, and Thomas's family is one everyone can relate to, because it provides a real portrayal of families and the time they spend together during the holidays. The show doesn't create a fluffy, idealistic, and perfect family with zero problems. It shows a real family with real problems. And this family takes you, as audience members, on the journey to fix their problems. It's a story worth seeing.
Making God Laugh opens tonight, July 24th at 7:30pm on Nebraska Repertory Theatre's Howell stage. It also performs July 25, 27 and August 2, 7, 8 at 7:30pm and August 11 at 2:00pm.
To secure tickets, visit unl.edu/rep or call 402-472-4747, 800-432-3231
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