Julia Sweeney's "Letting Go of God"

I finally met Julia Sweeney at the Darwin Day celebration last Sunday at CFI West. She was the rousing final performer in the 18-hour marathon reading of The Origin of Species.

And this week I finally saw Julia's current show, Letting Go of God, at the Groundlings Theater here in L.A. It's a brilliant one-woman show that not only breaks new ground in its subject matter but also is at times sidesplittingly funny. It's one of those shows where you worry that you're going to miss the next thing Julia has to say because the audience is laughing so loud.

The play recounts Julia's journey as a person who wants to believe--but is too smart and curious to just believe. And in the same way that she didn't shy away from the toughest questions posed by her former religious beliefs, Julia also doesn't shy away from the toughest questions posed by atheism. Such as, if there isn't religion, what is there?

Almost every work of narrative art that deals with religion eventually cops out. Even if religion is initially treated skeptically, often the conclusion winds up being something shopworn like, "dogma is bad, but, um, spirituality is good, whatever that is." When it comes to religion, almost all storytellers are cowards. They walk up to the void, get scared, and take one step back. And the audience sighs with relief, collectively saying to the artist, "Thanks. We really didn't want to go there."

But Julia refuses to betray her obligation to the audience like this. She grabs you by the hand and leads you where you don't want to go. And I can't think of a better guide. Julia has taken the heroic journey herself and is living proof that one can emerge with a positive worldview and moral values intact. Plus, it is impossible not to like Julia Sweeney.

You should see this show.

Remaining shows in Los Angeles:

Letting Go Of God at the Groundlings Theater
Feb. 28
Mar. 5, 14, 21, 26, 28
Letting Go Of God, a monologue. Two hours and thirty minutes (including a fifteen minute intermission)

Venue Info:
Groundlings Theater
7207 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90036
323-934-4747.
All tickets $20.

Other comments on Letting Go of God:

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 it's Pick Of The Week and then it's "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."

Julia Sweeney links:

Julia Sweeney's Official Site

Julia Sweeney's blog
(and in this post she says nice things about The God Who Wasn't There DVD)

God Said, Ha!

Book coming out in 2007

NPR audio