‘Some Things You Need to Know Before the World Ends’

Larry Larson and Lee Levi’s play is staged at the Black Box at The Villagers.

By: Stuart Duncan
   Some Things You Need to Know Before the World Ends, the latest entry to the Black Box space at The Villagers, has been carefully written so as to offend almost everybody who ever seriously considered a religious thought or, for that matter, anyone who ever has attempted to get in touch with his or her conscience.
   A two-man cast, Reverend Eddie and his Igor-like sidekick Brother Lawrence, manage to insult virtually every organized religious icon you can think of — they are particularly brutal with Baptists, Jesuits, Lutherans and Catholics. But, in the process, they leave enough lying around to cover anybody else. You will have plenty of chuckles and a few good laughs, but don’t bring your maiden auntie who teaches Sunday school; she may be upset when she learns what St. Paul really thought of women.
   There’s some dandy acting: Reverend Eddie is superbly played by Gordon Wiener as a fire-breathing preacher. He’s not above riding a bicycle especially equipped to provide lashes to his back as he pedals just so he can receive penance as he plays, thus confirming his tenet that "you can’t be holy if you don’t hurt." And he takes great pride in his sermons on topics such as "Life is like a basketball game," pointing out that it helps if you have lots of black guys on your side.
   David Neal plays Brother Lawrence with a slight smile to accompany his limp, thus implying ill-disguised glee at his predicament. The pair romp through a few skits and even play the guitar in a duet. There are responsive readings, a collection is taken up (a few buttons, an old theater ticket and a used Kleenex at the performance I attended).
   Larry Larson and Lee Levi wrote the play and Randall McCann directed this production.
Some Things You Need to Know Before the World Ends continues at Villagers Theatre, 415 DeMott Lane, Somerset, through Oct. 21. Performances: Fri.-Sat. 8 p.m. Tickets cost $12. For information, call (732) 873-2710. On the Web: www.villagerstheatre.com