Neil Simon’s ‘God’s Favorite’ set for 4-day run on GLT stage

Judy Rozsa stars in the role of Rose Benjamin in Neil Simon’s God’s Favorite, the first play of the 2005-2006 Gaffney Little Theatre season. God’s Favorite , one of Neil Simon’s most popular plays, is the opening show of the Gaffney Little Theatre’s 2005 season. The two-act comedy is based upon the Biblical story of Job and examines man’s faithfulness in the face of adversity.

Mike Dobbins plays the Job-figure of Joe Benjamin, a wealthy builder of corrugated boxes in Long Island, N.Y. He lives with his longtime, faithful wife Rose (Judy Rozsa), a bit quirky and totally devoted to her jewelry collection. The thorn in the family side is the eldest son David who is very much out of step with his family’s firm religious beliefs and very much in step with the bottle. Ernest Lavender portrays David.

Candice Frazier and Jon Martin appear as the Benjamin twins, Ben and Sarah, who share an abundance of love and an IQ of 160, but who make up for their intelligence deprivation with family loyalty. Mary and Warren Turner play the parts of Mady and Morris, the family servants who add wit and common sense to this most disfunctional group.

Roy Price is Sidney Lipton, a midnight prowler who comes into the Benjamin home to bring messages from a deity conclave between God and the adversary. Lipton ponders the eternal question: how can I deliver messages when somebody stole my bicycle?

Neil Simon manages to raise many of the questions asked in the Book of Job, but with side-splitting humor that is never sacrilegious. Much of the fun lies in the interplay between Joe Benjamin and Lipton, whose antics are at once charming, frightening and pesky.

God’s Favorite plays Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 10-12, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 13, at 3 p.m. at the theatre, 131 E. Robinson St. City parking is available at the lot connecting Limestone and East Robinson streets. Reservations may be made by calling 489-4589 and are strongly suggested. Since this is the first play of the new season, memberships, as well as tickets, may be purchased at the door.

Tedi H. Gibbons directs the two-act comedy.