Gospel According To Josh

Looking to hire Josh Rivedal for your next show but can’t get a hold of his resume or reel?  Look no further than The Gospel According To Josh - in one fast-moving hour you’ll see Josh run through his catalog of imitations, hear him sing songs both secular and sacred, and see him show his emotional range which starts off as lively stand up comic and ends as bereaved son.  Step right up, folks, and you’ll see Josh juggle it all.  Is he good at it?  You betcha.  Is this an entertaining hour?Undoubtedly.  But the main  thread of the story – Josh’s strange, complicated, ultimately heartbreaking relationship with his father – frays as it strains to contain the overflow of personalities, imitations, anecdotes and song stylings – much the way an above-ground pool buckles when presented with that one last kid hell bent on cannonballing into the deep.  All of a sudden there’s just one too many pair of water wings in the pool . . . and similarly Gospel has a few too many distractions that detour from what could ultimately be a very strong piece.

Rivedal (under the direction of Josh Gaboian) scarcely takes a breath as he deftly uses ever tick-tock of his one-plus hour to take the audience on a journey which begins with his born-again Baptist childhood in New Jersey (Jersey – who knew?) and ends with the big question mark left in the wake of his father’s unnerving passing.  More an amalgam of amusing anecdotes than a true dramatic arc, this show still undeniably showcases Josh’s comic timing, his smoky smooth singing voice and his knack for imitating the people we’ve all crossed paths with and recognize from our own lives.  To call this (as the blurb does) A Thirty Character Twelve Song Comedic Tour de Force is a bit of a cheat however – at this rapid pace some characters stay front and center for less time than it takes to change the virtual channel.

How Rivedal’s father was responsible for –  yet completely opposed to – yet also strangely proud of – his son’s acting career is the meaty bit of the show and doesn’t need the bells and whistles of Josh contorting from one supporting player into another in order to hit the mark.  In fact, nothing is more compelling than when Rivedal describes how his father broke his own code to watch old Ed Sullivan shows on video tape.  When Josh – stunned and mesmerized by what he saw  - asked if he could watch too, his dad agreed  . . . but only if they watched in silence and kept it a secret from the church.

“Through all of that, my dad and I just sat there in silence watching those brilliant performers. And after it was over we both looked up and looked at each other for a second, each of us wanting to describe how we felt about what we just saw. But nothing was said and we both looked away, got up and never spoke about it again.”

It was this revelation that made me lean forward in my seat, made me want more –  driving down this path a  little farther would have done wonders to peel back the layers of who Josh really is, who his father really was – and give the audience more of a hint of what this Gospel is really saying.

I applaud Rivedal’s talent.  He’s got it – that’s undeniable.   And he’s engaging to watch.  He’s charming, likeable, and winning. But The Gospel According To Josh seems unfinished – like there’s another commandment all carved up and ready to be brought down from the mount.  If Rivedal ever decides to take this show to the places he let us peek into – I’ll be the first person on my feet ready to testify.  But for now, this is one gospel that’s not quite ready for the pulpit.

~~~

Related Posts:

• Entrevista: The Gospel According To Josh (Midtown International Theatre Festival 2010)
• Entrevista: The Starship Astrov and Asian Belle (Midtown International Theatre Festival 2010)
• The Starship Astrov: Best Of Both Worlds (Midtown International Theatre Festival 2010)
• Entrevista: Never Norman Rockwell (Midtown International Theatre Festival 2010)
• Entrevista: Until We Find Each Other (Midtown International Theatre Festival)

The Gospel According To Josh

In case you haven’t noticed, it’s pretty hot outside… summer, yeah… summertime! What that also means is it’s theatre festival season. If you live on the motto that “life is like a box of chocolates,” you can easily apply the same to the festival circuit. Festivals hold lovely truffles covered with exquisite themes, filled with yummy character developments that leave you with a thought provoking aftertaste. They also have strange, oversweetened eerie stuff.

Out of the Midtown International Theatre Festival box –a festival running from July 12th through August 1st in the Big Apple– I’ve chosen a couple of possibly lovely truffles. We start our first Q&A with Joshua Rivedal, writer/performer for The Gospel According To Josh.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I think at a young age- maybe around 10 I knew. I wrote a few short historical fiction stories for a fourth grade class project and loved every minute of it. I’ve always been writing creatively but discovered I loved the art of playwriting only a few years ago.

What is your show about?

My show is about a naive boy who has dreams of Hollywood stardom, clashes with his pious religious father and goes on a journey to become a man by pursuing his dream any way possible including starring in two reality TV shows and then ultimately having to deal with his father’s suicide.

Joshua Rivedal

If you had to single out a quality between dialogue, plot or character, which one is the strongest in your project, and why?

I would say all three are strengths of the show but since I have to choose one I would say character. I and my director took great pains to really bring to life the character that was my father and make him not just a tyrant but giving him human qualities. Not to mention the other 30 characters that are in the play from Sammy Davis Jr, to Moms Mabley, to a gaggle of silly flamboyant gay men.

What is the funniest thing that has happened, and what is the most frustrating thing that has happened so far during this experience?

The funniest thing to happen is people’s response to the show’s artwork. It’s my face with a goofy expression pasted on Jesus’ body. Everyone has a one line zinger when they see it. The most frustrating thing is managing all the hats you wear- producer, writer, actor… it’s a hell of a lot of work (But worth it).

Name one show in the festival you are planning on checking out, and why?

I am definitely going to check out Asian Belle. I think a lot of her themes and experiences are similar to mine and we also share the same writing coach Matt Hoverman. I’ve seen some of her piece in a workshop setting and really enjoyed it. Can’t wait to see the full piece.

—

The Gospel According To Josh
written, performed by Joshua Rivedal
directed by Joshua Gaboian.

Playing July 16th through August 1st at The Dorothy Strelsin Theatre (312 W. 36th St, 1st Floor).
Tickets are $18 (Students $15) available at www.MidtownFestival.org

Related Posts:

• The Gospel According To Josh – Light On The Gospel, Heavy On The Josh (Midtown International Theatre Festival)
• Entrevista: The Starship Astrov and Asian Belle (Midtown International Theatre Festival 2010)
• The Starship Astrov: Best Of Both Worlds (Midtown International Theatre Festival 2010)
• Entrevista: Never Norman Rockwell (Midtown International Theatre Festival 2010)
• Entrevista: Until We Find Each Other (Midtown International Theatre Festival)