You’ve been waiting your whole life. But when God finally speaks to you at Paramount’s Copley Theatre this fall, you might be surprised by what He has to say.
Paramount’s 2024-25 BOLD Series continues with David Javerbaum’s An Act of God. And you better believe, God dishes it all out in this hit comedy, delivering a biblical rewrite for the ages, with added snarky social commentary for our amusement.
Acclaimed Chicago director Keira Fromm makes her Paramount debut with An Act of God, and she’s working with a heaven-sent cast and design team on this hilariously divine comedy.
Playing God is Alex Weisman, who turned heads and won his first Jeff Award as a young actor in The History Boys at TimeLine Theatre in 2009. He wowed audiences with his second Jeff-winning turn as Jason/Tyrone in Victory Gardens' Chicago premiere of Hand to God, and went on to Broadway to star in the original Broadway cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 and 2, winner of six Tony Awards. An Act of God is his Paramount debut.
Em Modaff and Michael Turrentine are cast as God’s worthy sidekicks, archangels Gabriel and Michael. BOLD Series fans will recall Modaff as Alison in Fun Home in 2022. Turentine is an actor with credits at Steppenwolf, Lyric Opera, Marriott, Drury Lane, Gift and Remy Bumppo.
Paramount’s An Act of God, directed by (from left) Keira Fromm, features Alex Weisman as God, Em Modaff as Gabriel and Michael Turrentine as Michael.
Previews of An Act of God start October 2. There are two Pay-What-You-Can Previews, Thursday, October 3 at 7 p.m., and Saturday, October 5 at 2 p.m. Press openings are Wednesday and Thursday, October 9 and 10 at 7 p.m. Performances run through November 10: Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Thursday at 7 p.m.; Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sunday at 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Content warning: strong adult language, some sexual content. Single tickets are $40-$55, and are on sale now.
Paramount’s BOLD Series productions are presented at the Copley Theatre, 8 E. Galena Blvd., in downtown Aurora. Go to ParamountAurora.com or call (630) 896-6666 to purchase tickets or subscriptions, or visit the Paramount box office, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and until show time on show days.
For the latest updates, follow @ParamountAurora on Facebook and Instagram, and Paramount Theatre on LinkedIn.
Access Services
Paramount will offer an American Sign Language interpreted performance on Friday, November 8 at 8 p.m.
Paramount offers assistive listening devices free of charge at all performances. Check in at the box office before the show to borrow a listening device.
If you require wheelchair or special seating or other assistance, please contact the box office at (630) 896-6666 or boxoffice@paramountarts.com in advance.
Thou Shalt Laugh: More about An Act of God
In An Act of God, the Almighty himself takes a crack at rewriting the Ten Commandments and He gives it to us straight. Inhabiting a mortal vessel, this world-weary God invokes many classic straight shooters from the past. But even Howard Stern and Johnny Carson would blush at God’s audacity as He takes the stage to address the misconceptions mankind has amassed over the eons.
Plan to have your assumptions challenged while God navigates you through religious doctrine, moral dilemmas, and your own human foibles with a blend of satire and irreverent humor. With archangels Michael and Gabriel at his side, God’s reflections on creation, faith, and the nature of good and evil just might open some pearly gates for you in the future
“It's no surprise God thinks humans aren't meeting our full potential,” explains Paramount’s director, Keira Fromm. “I admire the humor and the moxie of this play. One-part late night talk show, one-part unhinged TED talk, An Act of God encourages us to face and rethink the things we hold dear. It reminds us that we can make large-scale changes in our lives. And most importantly, it recognizes that we've been putting our faith in outside forces for too long, and now's the time to put that faith in ourselves.”
Fromm’s production team includes Jenna Schoppe, choreographer; Milo Bue and Jeffrey D. Kmiec, co-scenic designers; Mieka van der Ploeg, costume designer; Brandon Wardell, lighting designer; Christopher Kriz, sound designer and composer; Anthony Churchill, projections designer; Ivy Treccani, properties designer; Trent Stork, casting director; Daniel Washelesky, assistant director and dramaturg; Olivia Zapater-Charrette, stage manager; and Christopher Lindquist, assistant stage manager. Brandon Acosta is understudy for Gabriel and Michael.
David Javerbaum adapted An Act of God from his book “The Last Testament: A Memoir By God,” which itself began as “a series of tweets.” The play premiered in 2015 on Broadway at Studio 54 with Jim Parsons playing God in a production directed by Joe Mantello. The New York Times called it “a gut-busting-funny riff on the never-ending follow of mankind’s attempts to fathom God’s wishes through the words of the Bible and use them to their own ends.” An Act of God returned in 2016 to Broadway for a limited engagement starring Sean Hayes.
Paramount’s An Act of God: Biographies
Alex Weisman (he/him, God): Broadway: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (OBC). Regional: Milwaukee Rep, Goodman, Lookingglass, Chicago Shakespeare, Court Theater, Victory Gardens, AboutFace, TimeLine, Chautauqua among many others. Two-time Jeff Award winner for The History Boys and Hand to God. Television: “Frank” on Sesame Street (GLAAD New Media Award) “Chout” on NBC’s Chicago Fire/Med/P.D., New Amsterdam, Empire and Inventing Anna. Film: A Complete Unknown, An Acceptable Loss, Another Happy Day. Weisman is a graduate of Northwestern University.
Em Modaff (they/them, Gabriel, u/s God): Theatre: Fun Home, School of Rock (Paramount), The Secretaries (First Floor Theatre), The Jury (Theatre Now NY), Hundred Days (Kokandy), In The Blood (Red Tape Theatre). TV & Film: Desire Lines, Christmas Is Canceled, F*ck You Big Pharma, What Rhymes With Magdalena. Music: @MozeyTheBand on IG.
Michael Turrentine (he/him, Michael): Theater credits include Drury Lane, Marriott Theatre, Court Theatre, Gift Theatre, Lyric Opera, Griffin Theatre (Jeff Award for Best Supporting Performer) and more. TV credits include Emperor of Ocean Park, South Side and Somebody Somewhere.
Keira Fromm (she/her, director) is a Chicago-based, Jeff Award-nominated freelance director. Directing credits include The Moors, The Liar and A Doll’s House (American Players Theatre), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Milwaukee Chamber Theatre); The Last Match (Writers); Top Girls and hang (Remy Bumppo); Bull in a China Shop, Significant Other, Bright Half Life and A Kid Like Jake (About Face); and The How and the Why (TimeLine). She earned her MFA from DePaul and is an alum of Lincoln Center Directors Lab. keirafromm.com
Sponsor
Paramount’s 2024-25 BOLD Series is sponsored by Old National Bank.
Also coming soon to Paramount Theatre
Paramount has a blockbuster, four-show line-up for its 13th Broadway Series, launching in August with The Full Monty (August 21-October 6, 2024), followed by two highly anticipated Regional Premieres – Disney’s Frozen (October 30, 2024-January 19, 2025) and Waitress (February 12-March 30, 2025) – climaxing with a revival of Cats (April 30-June 15, 2025). Broadway packages start as low as $56.
In addition, Stolp Island Theatre, Paramount’s third live theater venue, is now open with a rockin’, critically acclaimed production of Million Dollar Quartet. This new staging is custom produced for Paramount’s new, 98-seat experiential theater space, where audiences will feel like they are part of the show. Due to popular demand, Million Dollar Quartet has already been extended through December 29, 2024. Stolp Island Theatre is located at 5 E. Downer Place, Suite G, in downtown Aurora. All tickets are just $65.
Next spring will see the arrival of the third show in Paramount’s 2024-25 BOLD Series, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Combine that with the epic struggles of six underdogs competing to shine in their own sport, and you have The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee — a relatable musical that sheds a humorous light on adolescents growing up under the pressure to excel. Performances are March 12-April 27, 2025 at Paramount’s Copley Theatre.
For tickets, subscriptions and information, visit ParamountAurora.com, call (630) 896-6666, or visit the Paramount box office, 23 E. Galena Blvd. in Aurora, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and until show time on show days.
About Paramount Theatre
Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., is the center for performing arts in Aurora, the second largest city in Illinois. The beautiful, 1,843-seat theater, graced with a strong 1930s Art Deco influence and original Venetian décor, nationally known for its high-quality productions, superb acoustics and historic grandeur, has been downtown Aurora’s anchor attraction since 1931.
Since launching its own Broadway Series in 2011, Paramount has amassed more than 37,000 subscribers, making it the largest subscription house in the U.S.
For over 50 years, the Joseph Jefferson Awards has recognized excellence in Chicago area theater. Paramount has been honored to earn 115 Jeff nominations and 29 wins over the last eight years of eligibility, including six Jeff Awards in 2022 for Kinky Boots, including Best Musical-Large, Paramount’s fourth win in that category following Sweeney Todd (2017), West Side Story (2016) and Les Misérables (2015).
Paramount Theatre is one of five live performance venues overseen by the Aurora Civic Center Authority (ACCA). ACCA also programs and manages the 165-seat Copley Theatre, home to Paramount’s BOLD Series, at 8 E. Galena in the North Island Center; Stolp Island Theatre, now open at 5 E Downer Place, Suite G, with a critically acclaimed experiential production of Million Dollar Quartet; RiverEdge Park, downtown Aurora’s outdoor summer concert venue at 360 N. Broadway; and the Paramount School of the Arts, all located in downtown Aurora.
Paramount Theatre continues to expand its artistic and institutional boundaries under the guidance of Tim Rater, President and CEO, Aurora Civic Center Authority; Jim Corti, Artistic Director, Paramount Theatre; a dedicated Board of Trustees and a devoted staff of live theater and music professionals.
For the latest updates, visit ParamountAurora.com or follow @paramountaurora on Facebook and Instagram, and Paramount Theatre on LinkedIn.