For the past several months, I’ve been serving as an executive producer on a powerful new play, meeting weekly to get our production funded and off the ground. It’s called God’s Favorite, written by Catherine Crimmins. In her play, Catherine explores the story of the Virgin Mary through a novel feminist lens. It’s as funny as it is touching, and it’s clever to boot. It’s captivating to the faithless and nourishing to the faithful, so long as they’re willing to face some challenges, which I’ll explain. Please, I invite you, take on these challenges. You will only grow in the Spirit.

Admittedly, it took us time to figure out how to market this thing. I was an atheist when we started, and at the time, the challenges I mentioned didn’t challenge me quite so much. Profanity next to God’s name is an example on the less shocking side. So I write today to reassure, to clarify, and to share the advent of a robust new play to the American theater canon. Galatians 6:7 comes to mind: “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” We aim to sow justice, and I trust the Good Shepherd to judge me fairly for my contribution.

The irreverence found in God’s Favorite is really aimed at patriarchy – “a system of society or government in which men hold the power and women are largely excluded from it” (Oxford English Dictionary). That’s a tough distinction to make in an Instagram blast. The plot explores a young Mary, mother of Jesus, in a telling where the immaculate conception is a lie fabricated to cover up her rape. That’s a bit of a spoiler, but it’s necessary to understand how a play that’s been accused of painting a stained Madonna could in fact serve a sacred purpose. As a Christian, it’s easy to start thinking defending good in the world means defending God from harm. But God came to Earth to not only be killed but to be spat on and abused in our place. I think of my dad’s revelation in confronting his coming death from brain cancer: it’s okay to yell at God. He’d much rather we disparage Him than take out our frustrations on our neighbors or ourselves. Even the absence of faith can be made holy in this way; Christ experienced doubt Himself just before giving up his spirit on the cross. Therefore, He would rather we tell this story than fail to criticize our patriarchy. We pay lip service to movements like #MeToo, but deep down, many of us still blame women for their own assault. God the Son beckons us to call out this ignorance with whatever tools He gives us. Well, He gave me Catherine’s play.

Jesus’ absence as a character is not blasphemy by omission but a message. I can only speak to my interpretation, but in my reading, it’s clear that the cruelty with which men treat women is what removes Christ from the world of the play. We as people, but especially men, are responsible for the love and treatment that women receive. We are called to be the ones who stop the frenzied crowd from hurling stones at our mothers and sisters. God died for us all. “Whores,” “sluts,” whatever human judgment heaped on the women in our lives – they too are God’s Favorite.

God’s Favorite will premiere in the New York Theater Festival at the Hudson Guild Theater in Manhattan. Performances July 11, 13, and 14. Written by Catherine Crimmins and directed by Maya McCullough. Executive producers: Catherine Crimmins, Michael Tricca, Ryan Michael Dunn, and Claire Clark.

Learn more about the production here! Buy tickets here.
Instagram: @godsfavoriteplay