A 'theological battle of biblical proportions' takes the stage at Art Downtown in Brunswick

A perky young evangelical missionary (Amy Lovin) tries to
convert two Catholic spinsters (Shirley Williams and Clynne
Morgan), who have enlisted the help of their parish priest
(Jack Conyers).

It's not going too far out on a limb to say that more wars and conflicts have been fought over religion than perhaps any other topic. In very simple terms, that is the premise behind The Savannah Disputation, a comedy by Georgia playwright Evan Smith. The play is being performed weekends through May 15 at Art Downtown in Brunswick.

A perky young evangelical missionary (Amy Lovin) gets a lot more than she bargained for when she drops in on two Catholic spinsters (Clynne Morgan and Shirley Williams) to 'convert' them, igniting a crisis of faith.

To fight back, the sisters enlist the help of their unsuspecting parish priest (Jack Conyers), who finds himself in the midst of a theological battle of biblical proportions.

"Early on we wrestled a bit with the subject, given that some people have a tendency to become defensive of their faith," explains gallery owner and director Lynda Gallagher. "Though it sounds as if it is ponderously deep, there are a lot of laughs as well as some bittersweet moments. In the end, the characters learn that they are a lot closer in their beliefs than they thought."

Evan Smith was born and raised in Savannah, Georgia. The Savannah Disputation premiered in Fall 2007 at the Writers' Theatre in Chicago. Other works by Smith include Servicemen, The Uneasy Chair, Psych and Daughters of Genius. His TV pilot “Debs” was produced onstage in Los Angeles by Naked TV, a joint venture of Fox TV and Naked Angels. He is a recipient of a 2002 Whiting Award. He has a BA in English from Vassar College and an MFA in play writing from the Yale School of Drama.

Performance dates for The Savannah Disputation are Saturday evenings at 8:00 pm April 16, 23 and 30, and May 7 and 14. Sunday afternoon performances will be at 3:00 pm April 17 and May 1 and 15. Performances include dessert and coffee, and doors open 30 minutes prior to curtain. Reserve seat tickets may be purchased by calling 912-262-0628, or at Art Downtown at 1413 Newcastle Street in Brunswick.