The Trials of Job: A Comedy Coming to Brooklyn Opera House

       The cast of The Trials of Job: A Comedy has been working hard rehearsing to bring the Biblical story of Job to the stage. The one act play was written by Josh Gerard of Brooklyn who will also be directing. The play runs April 24-26. Submitted photo.

by J.O. Parker
 
       An upcoming Brooklyn Theater production takes guests back to the Biblical time of Job. 
     The Brooklyn Opera House will be showing The Trials of Job: A Comedy from April 24-26th. This one act play was written by Josh Gerard of Brooklyn. It is a comedic adaptation of the entire book of Job which is the story of a man who endures a series of tragic events, but through it all, refuses to curse God. 
       “This is the first play I ever wrote,” said Gerard. “I enjoyed taking a book that has some dark moments but make them funny. The message remains the same throughout. God is in control, and we are not, and everything He does is to help us know Him.” 
       Cast in order of appearance: Job, Travis Williams; Mrs. Job, Kim Hawkins; God, Jeff Britts; Satan, Abby Smith; Fred, Mike McKenna; Sarah, Alli McCammant; Barb, Alleeah Eichhorn; Jane, Traci Williams; Children , Gracie Gerard, Sylvie Emerson, Malachi Emerson, Silas Gerard, Isabella Wadhams, Gwen McClenathan; Eli, Rob Hanlon; Bill, Isaiah Williams; Zophar, Tristan Taylor; Ellyhu, Alaina Holmes; Writer/Director, Josh Gerard; Props/Customes, Kim Hawkins; Set Design, Laura Emerson.
        Abby Smith, who is playing Satan in the production, has acted in all but two of the plays at the Brooklyn Opera House. “The reason I love performing in community theater is for the people. I love the people I get to work with and I love getting to see all the people who enjoy our shows.”
        “I enjoy the positive feeling I get when people say they’ve enjoyed my performance,” said Mike McKenna, who is playing Fred. “Between Brooklyn, Newton and Grinnell, I have been in over 40 shows.”
        “I’m excited to see Josh’s ideas come to life and make people laugh,” said Alli McCammant, who is playing Sarah. “This will be my 6th time being a part of a play in the community theater.” 
        When asked what she enjoys the most about acting in community theater, Alli said, “The answer for me is in the question. Community. It’s the people that make putting on these productions so worthwhile.”
        “I am proud to be playing Job’s “wise” friend, Eli – a man whose primary goal is to help Job figure out what he did to upset God so that life can return to normal for everyone…preferably sooner rather than later,” said Robert Hanlon. “It has been my pleasure to be involved in most of the productions at the Brooklyn Opera House since its first show, The Odd Couple, in 2021. Before that, my last time on stage was back at good ol’ North Polk High School in the early ‘90s when my joints were less cranky and memorizing lines was slightly less of an adventure. When the opportunity came up to give theater another shot, I figured, ‘What’s the worst that could happen?’ (A question I may or may not have regretted asking).”
         Hanlon said, “Getting back on stage has been a fun challenge. It’s one thing to remember where to stand and what to say, and another thing entirely to avoid looking like a guy who is clearly just trying to remember where to stand and what to say. I do my best to give the audience something worth watching – something a little more natural and a little less wooden statue reciting dialogue. As someone who grew up watching Monty Python, Robin Williams and Phil Hartman, I’ve always appreciated great comedy. With theater, I get the chance to step outside myself and play someone I would never be in real life – which, depending on the role, is probably a good thing. It’s a real blessing that a small community like Brooklyn can support something like this. Who would have thought live theater would thrive in our little corner of the world?”