Overview
Synopsis
Successful businessman Joe Benjamin has admittedly had a wonderful life. He has a successful business selling boxes while living with his family in their beautiful Long Island mansion. Joe, being a devout religious man, attributes all of his success and happiness to the big “G� himself: God. But when an eccentric messenger from God visits Joe all hell breaks loose! Joe, God’s favorite servant, is being put to the test; he must either renounce his faith in God or suffer severe consequences. The jokes and tests of faith fly fast and furious as Neil Simon spins a contemporary morality tale like no other in this hilarious comedy.
Show Information
- Book
- Neil Simon
- Text And Format
- Neil Simon
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 1974
- Genres
- Comedy
- Time & Place
- the benjamin mansion on the north shore of long island
- Cast Size
- medium
- Licensor
- Ideal For
- community theatre, regional theatre, professional theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Mature Adult, Adult, Young Adult Characters, Medium Cast
Context
God’s Favorite first premiered on December 11, 1974 at the Eugene O’Neil Theatre in New York City. Compared to Neil Simon’s blockbuster hits, God’s Favorite had modest success, running for 119 performances. The play deals with one man’s struggle to keep faith in God amidst severe trials and tribulations. Simon has stated that he wrote the play "as a reaction to his wife's untimely death from cancer". The comedy is loosely based on the Book of Job; Joe Benjamin is also tested by God by
to read the context for God's Favorite and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Act One
Scene One. It is midnight at the North Shore of Long Island. We open the scene inside of the Benjamin mansion, which is beautiful and opulent. The house has begun to stir due to a noise that’s happening outside. Joe Benjamin has begun to investigate the noise with his family: his wife Rose, his two kind and dim witted twins Sarah and Ben, and his domestic help Mady and Morris. Everyone is terrified that a burglar (or in Sarah’s case, a rapist) is trying to get into the house. Their
to read the plot for God's Favorite and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
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Featured |
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Featured |
Female |
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Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
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Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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