Kay Goldstein: End Days, Laughing in the Face of Armageddon

Last week I was privileged to see a performance of End Days written by Deborah Zoe Laufer and directed by Claudia Weill at the Martha's Vineyard Playhouse. This quirky family comedy underscores the vulnerabilities and aspirations of human beings who have survived trauma and even the threat of annihilation. I laughed with the characters that include a pious and ever patient Jesus and Stephen Hawking as the marijuana-induced hallucination of Rachel, a disaffected, black-clad teen. There is Nelson, the kid who won't venture out without sporting his Elvis Presley white sequined jumpsuit. That item of course invites derision at school -- and even physical abuse. One of the play's anchors is Rachel's dad, Arthur Stein. Deeply depressed and in his pajamas for most of the play, he lives the only way he can with the trauma of being a 9/11 survivor. The play hinges on the belief of his wife, Sylvia, that Armageddon, the Rapture, is only days away. What ensues is both poignantly redemptive and often ... (link)