EVERYBODY-A Left Edge Theater Production Recommend for NoBody

EVERYBODY was introduced by the stentorian voiced house usher who reveled in his thespian casting as, no other than, God. Before the play started (15 minutes late) despite the stark set, and the program stating it was a one act, 90 minute production, God (Khalid Shayota) informed us the play would run about two hours with a 15 minute intermission. Shayota also was cast as Understanding and went to great lengths to admonish an audience of 50, to turn off our phones and why vibrate mode doesn't suffice. He also instructed us to unwrap any sweets and pointed out the exits. I should've taken his cue and exited. The production was intended as a philosophical, absurdist contemplation of the simple topics such as the meaning of life and what life is there after life, i.e. when we die. Try as they might, and I applaud the courageous commitment of the cast who for the most part, were cast as Somebody, except for Death (Bonnie Jean Shelton) dressed all in black with a chic veil, and Love (Lulu Thompson) dressed all in red. Playwright Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins' EVERYBODY was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in Drama and his other plays have earned him an Obie and the Steinberg Playwright Award.  EVERYBODY is appropriated from the 15th C morality play EVERYMAN which is believed to be the first English language play to have been recorded. There were some clever ideas bantered about pertaining to the inevitability of our eventual demise and the solitariness or our passing. Specifically, our obsession and futility with obtaining material items. SOMEBODY confronted an anthropomorphism of "stuff" and engaged in a frustrating but very facetious dialogue. However the play was burdened in its very amateur production. LOVE told SOMEBODY "they" would not abandon SOMEBODY if SOMEBODY did exactly what LOVE instructed, which was to "get undressed and humiliate yourself." The actress portraying SOMEBODY didn't get naked, but did strip down to her sports bra and panties and ran several times through the audience. It was humiliating to behold. The pas de deux LOVE and SOMEBODY danced after the brief marathon was absurd, though I don't think that was the intent which only made it incredibly cringeworthy. GOD informed us before the play started it was going to be extended for another week. For those who haven't seen the show, count yourselves fortunate. For those who may consider seeing Left Edge Theater's EVERYBODY, don't be absurd.