God Eat God

By Adeline Loh • UrbanWire
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Rody Vera from the Philippines, playing God in one scene, asks, "Why are more people asking the same questions?"

Haresh Sharma, the playwright of godeatgod, answers, "Because we have started to believe the answers less."

That sentiment echoes throughout this year's retelling of godeatgod, which doesn't play out like a rehashing of an old tale first staged in August 2002. With a new cast and theatrical arrangement, godeatgod continues where it left off, forging another phase of questioning and searching that started since the play's first staging in 2002 as a response to the 9/11 tragedy.

The title godeatgod has a certain satirical ring to it. While it may be common for the 'might-is-right' ideology to dominate in human relationships, it sounds almost blasphemous to say that Gods might act in similar ways. In the play, we see God repeatedly defending himself, asserting that "[he has] done nothing wrong" when faced with human charges of negligence or indifference towards the suffering of mankind.

In its continued exploration of questions of spirituality, morality and power, godeatgod pares down the issues to a personal, almost immediate level in its choice of presentation. Playing at the Necessary Stage Black Box till 14 November, the audience is palpably close to the actors who are only mere metres away. This intimacy is felt physically – when in one scene Rody Vera and Peter Sau whip the ground with canes; the crack and intensity of the caning sends a literal shock to the senses.

This intimacy lends credibility to the whole experience of watching godeatgod as each character tells their own personal piece of history. Aidli Mosbit relates the conviction of a smiling Bali bomber; young people die in vain in Peter Sau's recollection of the Tiananmen massacre; Rody Vera honours the man who dared to defy the dictator Marcos; and Eriko Wada comes to terms with personal suffering and the death of a loved one.

This same sense of connection is cut off quite cleverly by its creators in scenes where the actors don toy spectacles to cover their eyes. It's as if we've been disconnected from the windows of their souls, and the people before us are merely dummies who are blind to the world's realities. This play of connection is especially apt in the opening of godeatgod where the actors carol in deluded cheer on talibans and tau sa baos [steamed bun with red bean paste filling], allowing the audience to survey this spectacle with an amused detachment.

While the questions brought up in the play are certainly worth reflection, the pleasures of experiencing, and not just watching, godeatgod are manifold. A dialogue session that occurs midway through the play discusses different issues daily giving the audience a chance to participate. godeatgod also experiments with multimedia, lighting, sound and sets in a way that's delicious, mixing vicarious sensation with raw intensity.

As the spectre of terrorism continues to haunt the world, godeatgod hasn't lost its bite or relevance - we have yet to end wars, bridge national and religious divides, bring about peace. It appears that we have yet to find the answers. And that perhaps is the point of godeatgod. It's hard not to leave with at least Sharma's ending words: "If you leave with no answers . . . I hope you will leave with some personal reflection." Maybe then we can start believing the answers.

Get your tickets from all Sistic outlets. godeatgod runs on 13 Nov (3pm and 8pm) and 14 Nov (3pm) at the Necessary Stage Black Box. Tickets: Tickets: $26 | $22 (concession) - Free Seating [excludes $2 SISTIC fee], $18 (5 or more tickets purchased; Exclusive for Partners & Members.