Woody Allen and "God"?

[verybaddmom]

Has anyone here had a chance to read or study the Woody Allen play, "God"?
I am wondering if anyone else has had any exposure to it and would like to discuss it with me, as i fear i am only finding the same theme in there that i have found in all his work. i wonder now, is that because i have a preconceived notion of what his work "SHOULD" be, or because that's what his work "IS" ??

any comments would be appreciated.

[emily655321]

Sorry, haven't read it, but I thought I'd put the post back at the top of the list. I'd be interested in hearing about it. Personally, I'm dubious that Allen IS capable of a theme other than, "I'm Woody Allen. Feed my ego." But I hate to think that way about people, so I'd love to hear a contrary opinion from somebody.

[verybaddmom]

well, in my opinion the theme of this play is more than "I'm Woody Allen. Feed my ego." but only slightly....partly because he uses his art as a method of asking questions of the public, not for greater social good, but for his own benefit, if that makes sense?
if one spends some time looking at some of his other work, it all seems to be tightly tied to philosophy, metaphysics and his search for answers to questions that he pretends not to want to ask. the play "God" pokes fun at virtually everyone within reach...ancient greeks (philosophers and playwrights), other playwrights, social conventions and metaphysics. and while he pokes fun at these on the surface, it seems as though he expresses a deeper need for some of these things (metaphysics and answers to the questions asked), which also seems to be against his will.
poor angsty Allen......
oh i dont know, i dont even know why i am trying to answer this before morning coffee..just shows i guess how my priorities have changed; before i would have gone straight for coffee, now for my computer and more specifically, this site.

[verybaddmom]

Hello???? does anybody read Woody Allen? anybody? not even for school? c'mon guys, it's literature (sort of)
*whines*

[murdermysweet]

Why? What were you thinking?

[verybaddmom]

um...see above please. i was hoping someone sees something in this that i dont...but what i see is described in summary above

[murdermysweet]

I'm sorry, I didn't really see a clear-cut question. I thought you were going to be more specific when someone admitted to reading it.

I'll try: I think that in all of his work, Allen has been trying to ask many of the same questions. Perhaps, because he still hasn't found the answers to these questions. For example, in this play, one of the major questions was, "If there is a God, does that mean that we are all characters playing a part?". He has focused on the issue of religion very frequently, because he still believes many questions to be unanswered.

I can't tell you if you have a preconceived notion because you haven't stated directly what that notion is.

[verybaddmom]

my notion? i think that in most, if not all of Allen's works he covertly addresses the metaphysical questions that he's struggling to answer: is there life after death? What is the meaning of life? What is reality? Is life just a dream? etc. he disguises his concern with humor (attempts at humor?) and seems to be unwilling to directly address his concerns, almost as if he is afraid to learn the answers. it just seems to me that this play is yet another demonstration of how one can beat the same topic to death and not notice that its dead. (or is it dead? is there life, for the topic, after death?)
maybe i just need to take a deep breath and walk away from Allen and come back after some refreshments. i'll be right back....

*searches for moonshine, finds some, swigs, coughs, splutters, decides that anyone with the name of "Woody" is not worth all this torturous contemplation...goes to bed*

[tanyarachel]

there is way more to this play than ego and just a question of god's existence. yes, woody allen does question God, but also in the end, he answers it (for this play, it may not be his answer because he really doesnt have one as he states). In the end of the play, Allen sends a message via the delivery boy, it says "God is dead, you're on your own." This means....well God can not justify your life, you take your own responsibilty for your actions. For example, to say "well tahts just hw God made me, doesnt work" or to be good because you want to get to God (heaven), doesnt work. You are on your own literally. Its kinda scary too knowing that God, in this case is not responsible for our lives. Allen understands this. If God isnt responsible for our lives and we are, then there is no REAL meaning to why we're all here. Its up to an individual to provide meaning for their life (not oh i was born to be a writer, but giving our actions purpose of our own).
Allen does show earlier in the play that IF God were real, yes we would be characters in a play, there would be no freedom and we're not our own original beings. Scary?
We studied this play in my existentialism philosophy class. Its really interesting. If you read Sartre and Nietzsche along with this, you'll get a pretty good graspy of this play. However, Sartre (more so than Nietzsche in my opinion) is kinda hard at times. Existentialsm is a hard topic and scary. The whole idea of having no reason for our existence and no "innate rights" and things like that is a bit scary. Thats the point though.

[Psycheinaboat]

You guys piqued by interest, so I looked around and found the play much more easily (and cheaply) than I had imagined.

I will try to read it tonight, if I get time, and return to post.

http://members.fortunecity.com/bookdepository/plays/god/god2.html

(BTW, I know nothing about this site, so let me know if this is not the play that you are talking about, or if it is not in its entirety .)

[Psycheinaboat]

I read God (A Play) and I suggest everyone take a look at it. You can read and review it in an hour tops.

At first, I didn't care for what I was reading, and when the actor called Woody I was thinking, "Can this man not write anything without including himself?" It was a slow start.

By the end I was shhh-ing everyone in my home so that I could finish. I was engrossed from the point that the play actually "began" on.

The most poignant parts to me were the parts dealing with the lady who was stabbed while witnesses chose not to get involved, and then when Phidipides' prayers go unanswered. How can we expect a mighty Creator, a God, to help us when we refuse to help each other?

Then, of course, God is hanged. This leaves mortals with freedom and the still unanswered question (one of many unanswered questions), "Is freedom chaos?"

[A Hard Rain]

I haven't read it, but there seems to be some good questions asked; even if woody allen needs his ego stroked from tiem to time. Woody Allen uses himself as a medium or tool to express his questions, art, and comic relief. It doesn't necessarily mean he's egotistical. i have only watched a couple of his films though, so i can't speak much on him.

[Psycheinaboat]

I think we may be being too hard on Allen. I know that I have some problems with him because he married his adopted daughter and I consider that incest and childabuse even without the biological connection. So, that probably does color my views of his work, no matter how I try to look over it.

Dali and Warhol are artists who come to mind quickly as examples of it sometimes being difficult to see the difference between the artist and his art. Where does the art end and his more private, real life begin? It is hard to put into words what I am thinking, but I think that maybe Woody Allen could fit into this category, although I do not consider him as much a legend.

[starrwriter]

I haven't read the play about God, but I enjoy Woody Allen's humorous films (not his attempts at serious films like "Interiors").

The typical character Allen plays is a sort of whiny Everyman victimized by circumstance and his own shortcomings. He sees anti-semitic fascists all around him, but in a hilarious way. I agree with what he said about death:

"I'm not afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens."

[A Hard Rain]

my favorite allen quote: Life is full of misery, loneliness, and suffering - and it's all over much too soon.
Woody Allen

[genoveva]

I love his films but haven't read any of his writing. Although, I did pick up his book Without Feathers (I think is the title) and still haven't read it...

[Dos Santos]

Hey Its Woody Allen. What more is there to say? I really don't know why I just posted this... It actully is completely pointless but then again so is alot of stuff like curling for instance.