The Religion Thing Theatre Review

Religion is complicated. On the one hand, it can be a source of comfort and communal support; on the other, a bastion of conflict, where “I believe” takes the leap from strongly held opinion to entrenched certitude and absolutism. Playwright Renee Calarco examines both sides through the experiences of two married couples in her savvy and often sharply comic The Religion Thing, a production of Project Y Theatre Company, now on view at The Cell. For the recently married Patti (Danielle O’Farrell) and Jeff (Andrew William Smith), their embrace of Evangelical Christianity was triggered by a sincere — some might say desperate — effort to break away from the demons of their respective pasts. They perceive their adopted faith as a rock-solid foundation where they can count on the Lord to “lead us not into temptation” in order to get them through each day. The second couple is Patti’s friend Mo (Katharine McLeod), a “lapsed Catholic,” and Brian (Jamie Geiger), a non-observant Jew. For Mo and Brian, matters of religion, which had never been particularly important in their marriage, take on increasing significance as the scapegoat for their troubled relationship when they consider the possibility of becoming parents.