←Recommendations of A Sacrilegious Romp

A brilliant twist on scripture. Really loved this play and this fantastic cast of characters.

Wow I loved this. Proctor brilliantly balances irreverent humor and genuinely heart breaking human moments to bring new life and perspective to a tale we may think we already know. God may have a 5,000 year plan, but can we still change our stories?

(You know that meme that's like I WOULD GO TO SCHOOL IF THIS WAS THE TEXTBOOK? That, but with organized religion if this play was the text.)

I had the immense pleasure of watching this piece be performed this year. This piece is so well written. Erin pushes the envelope with showcasing a well known Bible story into a absurdly funny journey. There are plenty of hearfelt (and gut wrenching moments) that keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

God is dead. Wait, correction. God is just "kind of a dick." Sure, they may have a 5000-year plan, but to an immortal, that's like asking us where we see ourselves in five years. Proctor's writing is fresh, daring, and absolutely hilarious. If you're unfamiliar with her voice, "Alternative Canon" is the perfect introduction, as she deftly and delightfully turns these familiar religious icons (as well as a handful of angels) into living, breathing humans. Humans with very human emotions, problems, and hopes. And idiosyncrasies. And sex drives. And, like, hesitancies towards wandering through deserts willy nilly.

Alternative Canon: A Sacrilegious Romp is a story that could only be told now based on stories that could only be written then. The focus on Sarah rather than Abraham opens up the story in a completely fresh way and there's enough humor to balance out the trauma inherent in Sarah's body being used by Abraham and God for their own ends in this queer female exploration of Genesis. The cast and content are ideal for colleges and young adult theatres looking to challenge and entertain. (Disclaimer: I was the dramaturg.)

Absurdity and the Bible are Proctor's bread and butter. Making this toasty play a damn meal (with strong female leads and a lovable B plot!) I recommend this to everyone looking for an interesting Epic for their reading.

The world of this play is fabulously absurd. The contemporary vernacular reads like Men on Boats. Erin Proctor combines the historical character archetypes with contemporary concepts that bring these characters, absurdly, to the present: God presents to a board meeting using a smart board, Nahor is a dumb jock (GO RAMS!), and a gaggle of angels are more like businesspeople than religious figures. The sarcasm and the absurdity of the world unearths a unique attitude and style that renders these stories anew with questions of cynicism, doubt, and even rage against God.

With Alternative Canon, Erin creates a piece that serves a real punch-in-the-gut for anyone even vaguely familiar with Ancient Jewish texts. It is truly a wild ride, and I am particularly drawn in by the epilogue in its call for #MaryToo. The angels are by far my favorite part, and I appreciate Erin's mixing of modern and ancient in a way that's snappy, absurd, and keeps one on one's toes.

The Jewish Plays Project encourages ALTERNATIVE CANON as a Honorable Mention for the 11th annual Jewish Playwriting Contest. This play sparked a rigorous discussion with our community of readers as an exciting, engaging, and moving play that resonated with contemporary Jewish life. ALTERNATIVE CANON rose to the top out of 250 plays, and we hope this piece finds opportunities for further development so this contemporary Jewish story can reach new audiences.

Never before have I read a more vulgar, sacrilegious piece of drama, and I fucking love it. Erin Proctor's piece crackles with remarkable dialogue that's equal parts humorous and meaningful. Every character arc is well-traced, and every character is well-developed. Although I am neither LGBTQA+ nor Jewish, I found the cynicism toward scriptural narrative to be a remarkable way in for most readers. On that note, the LGBTA+ elements of the script are well-managed to challenge the heteronormative narrative of the source material. I dig it. Please, please give this piece a read.