Before God was Invented

Before God was Invented, written and directed by Lissa Moira, with music by Richard West and lyrics by Moira, is a far-out, ritualistic piece in action and sound. It's also often incomprehensible due to assumed accents and invented language -- words like, "omma tamma alla tomma" and phrases like, "We all time make with ears him to hear." I felt I was watching a spectacle in a foreign country.

Moira has a wild imagination in this play about primitives which takes a shot at the transition from a matriarchal society to a masculine-dominated one: from warm and nurturing to combative (fine fight choreography by Jiggers Turner) with many commandments. Women dance and sing while waiting for the demented men to arrive. There is shadow shtupping behind a curtain, and a kind of "flower child" philosophy - "Let's share everybody," so here, a little lesbianism can sneak in.

The costumes and scenic design by David "Zen" Mansley are clever and work well, as do the terrific animal-head masks by Lytza Colon as the women dance an animal ritual, and the lighting and sound design by William Giraldo.

The play is a strong attempt by Moira to communicate a vision with a mixture of levels of performance - all carried out earnestly by well-meaning performers. The beautiful Chelsey Clime, a real singer, is outstanding in the cast.

There is lots of well-staged sturm und drang, and the physical action keeps our interest. West's ritualistic songs are quite lovely and fit well with Moira's lyrics. Judicious trimming of monologues would help the play's theatricality, but Moira, a true original, does strongly carry out her vision.