Heaven Can Wait, But You Shouldn’t
Studio Theatre to Present Segall’s Play
On Friday, November 11, Henry Segall’s play, Heaven Can Wait, opens at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. The production will be held in Penn State Behrend’s Studio Theatre and will be performed on November 11-12 and November 16-20 at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays, November 13 and 20, at 2:00 p.m. General admission is $5.
Directed by Christine Mangone, lecturer in theatre, Heaven Can Wait delves into the idea that heaven and angels can – and do – make mistakes. This uncanny comedy makes death funny by trying to correct the slip-up of an eager angel who erroneously plucks an accident victim 60 years before his scheduled death. The play explores deception, murder, and true love as the main character, Joe Pendleton, is incarnated into a murder victim’s body.
The audience follows Joe’s journey as he, in the body of the rich banker, Mr. Farnsworth, pursues his dream of boxing. While training in his new body, Joe has to dodge attempted murders by Mrs. Farnsworth and falls in love with Mr. Farnsworth’s adversary, Bette Logan. These humorous plot twists lead to a surprising climax that offers the audience an unexpected moment of joy and triumph.
Heaven Can Wait has been made into multiple film adaptations, including Here Comes Mr. Jordon (’41), Heaven Can Wait (’78), and, most recently, Down to Earth (’01) starring Chris Rock. Whether about a boxer, football player, or stand-up comic, this play always succeeds in executing (no pun intended) its zigzagging plot.