The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told

by Paul Rudnick

Divided in two acts, the play covers quite a gamut in religious theology. The first act recounts the "true" Biblicial couple, Adam and Steve, their fall from grace because of Adam's curiosity, and eventually meeting another couple, Jane and Mabel. Together, they survive a hilarious recounting of the Great Flood, and an even more hilarious recounting of a rather effemiente Pharoah refusing to let his "people" go because of his infatuation with the Moses/Brad character. Brilliant. The second act plucks these people out of the Old Testament, and places them in modern day New York City, at a Christmas party thrown by Adam and Steve. The transition is seemless, due to Rudnick's ability to make it funny and believable. Rudnick leaves no stereotype unturned, from gay Santas to go-go boy elves, to a Public Access wheelchair bound lesbian rabbi (I'm not kidding) who steals the act. I rarely laugh outloud when reading a book, but I had tears in my eyes reading the second act. Excellent comedic writing!

Genres: Plays, Drama, LGBT, Theatre

72 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this back when it first appeared and remembered enjoying it, as I have most of Rudnick's work that I have read, seen - or both. It was mentioned awhile back in one of my Facebook theatre groups, and with the state of the world such as it is, I figured I could use a few chuckles. The first act is very clever and funny, with a gay version of the beginning of the Bible from Genesis (complete with Adam and Steve ... and Mabel and Jane), through Noah and the flood.

The 2nd act is not QUITE as successful, with its take on a contemporary gay Christmas celebration, which culminates with the birth of what may ... or may not - be The Second Coming. The presence of AIDS is also a bit of a downer, and dates the play, since this was set before effective medical Rx. Would have loved to have seen the original production - if for nothing else the presence of an entirely nude Bobby Cannavale! :-0

[Martin Denton · Rating 3 out of 5]

"God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve": so runs a commonly heard argument against homosexuality. Playwright Paul Rudnick has taken this trite little saying as the starting point for this play. As you might expect from Mr. Rudnick, whose previous works include Jeffrey and the film In and Out, it's broadly comic and unapologetically gay.

The first act of The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told is a hip rendition of highlights from the Bible, from the creation to the birth of Jesus, all from a modern New York gay perspective. God does indeed create Adam and Steve, who live together idyllically in the Garden of Eden until Adam is tempted (by a fundamentalist preacher, a Westchester club woman, and a hayseed Mormon from Utah, all seated in the audience) to question his situation. Our heroes are expelled from paradise and meet up with a pair of lesbians, Jane and Mabel; together these four live in comparative peace and prosperity for several hundred years. There's a version of the flood, and a campy Egyptian pharaoh, and a miraculous immaculate conception. There's also, tantalizingly, a modern-day Holy Bible, provided to Adam by the aforementioned preacher, which Adam and his friends suspect contains the answers to the questions that plague them but which they are unable to puzzle out (they cannot, of course, read English).

This interesting conceit is dropped midway through the play. Likewise, the foursome's various positions vis-a-vis God are never fully explained or explored; likewise, the Our Town-ish device of having an omnipresent Stage Manager overseeing the action is never really fleshed out. Act Two, somewhat jarringly, finds both couples in contemporary Manhattan.

Alas, Mr. Rudnick has not written the play that I hoped he might have; but this review is about the play he has written, which is really quite funny and clever, with the repartee--some of it dazzlingly original--flowing prodigiously.

[Kaethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adam and Steve are such a believable couple. I appreciate the fresh take on religion and on The Skin of Our Teeth and Our Town.

Library copy

[Jojo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quirky little play that was fairly amusing.
Grade: B

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable concept - I did laugh at some of the scenes... dialogue...