GOD HELP US!
A Political Comedy
starring Gregory Harrison
Written by Samuel Warren Joseph and Phil Proctor
Produced by Liza Asner
Directed by Mitch Levine
GOD HELP US! can be presented in two exciting ways:
With a veteran cast or with local actors playing the roles of Larry and Randi. In both versions, Gregory Harrison plays God. These two exciting options allow presenters maximum flexibility, prospects for community engagement and promotional opportunity.
Download: GOD HELP US! One-Sheet
Gregory Harrison (Actor/Star): He was the title character on the science fiction series Logan’s Run (1977-78), surgeon Dr. George “Gonzo” Gates on Trapper John, M.D., a regular on the prime-time series Falcon Crest, He starred in the WB Network’s Safe Harbor and One Tree Hill and has made guest appearances on other shows such as Touched by an Angel, Judging Amy, Rizzoli & Isles, Reunion, Joey, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Drop Dead Diva and Hot in Cleveland, he played Billy Flynn in a touring production of Chicago and was the male lead in each film of the Au Pair trilogy. He also appeared as Benjamin Stone in the Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Follies and starred in the original Broadway production of Kander & Ebb’s musical Steel Pier. In 2011, he had a guest-starring role as a doctor on ABC’s Body of Proof. More recently, he appeared on General Hospital.
Samuel Warren Joseph (Writer): Sam’s credits include the movie Off Your Rocker, a comedy-drama about a revolution in an old folks’ home starring Milton Berle, Red Buttons, Dorothy Malone and Lou Jacobi. He has written animation episodes for such shows as Duck Tales, Dennis the Menace, Batman: The Animated Series and Beast Wars. In addition to his film and TV credits, Sam is a produced playwright. He wrote the book and co-wrote the songs for the stage musical, Campaign, which had its world premiere in 2010 at the Met Theatre in Los Angeles. In 2010, Sam’s comedy about marital infidelity, Two Times Two, had its world premiere in New Orleans. The film Window of Opportunity, which he wrote and directed, is based on his produced stage play of the same name. 2016 saw the world premiere of his play Moral Imperative about morality and murder in the world of academia. It also saw the workshop production of his new musical, Psychosexual: A Love Story. His newest works are the satiric drama, American Paradox, and the outrageous farce (co-written with Phil Proctor), Sherlock Shakespeare.
Phil Proctor (Writer): Phil shared three Grammy nominations with The Firesign Theatre and three daytime Emmies for voicing Howard DeVille on Rugrats, honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He has shared several Academy Awards for his voice work in the animé Spirited Away and numerous Disney/Pixar movies and most recently won an Audie for adding voices to the sci-fi epic Battlefield Earth and a Mark Time Award for The Audio Adventure Book of Big Dan Frater, created by Brian Howe. Philip can be seen on screen in the sex farce, Love Addict and in Sam Joseph’s comic political thriller, Window of Opportunity produced by The Doors’ John Densmore, as well as in Henry Jaglom’s first film, A Safe Place with Tuesday Wells, Orson Welles and Jack Nicholson and later in Hollywood Dreams and Queen of the Lot. Other film credits include The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, Amazon Women on the Moon, Lobsterman from Mars, with the great Tony Curtis, and Love Addict, The Selling and The Independent, with Melinda, his wife. The release of his autobiography, Where’s My Fortune Cookie, co-authored by Brad Schreiber, will be followed by Americathon: The Skits behind the Script and the transcripts of the NPR comic series Power by Proctor & Bergman, for Bear Manor Media. Today most of Firesign Theatre’s classic albums and books are available at www.firesigntheatre.com,
Liza Asner (Producer) was born and raised in L.A. but spent 22 years in Portland, OR working in promotions and advertising before returning to the City of Angels to assist her father Ed. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Broadcast Journalism from Northeastern University and later a Master of Science in Education (recipient of the Helene Krivosha School of Education Scholarship). She produced and voiced radio spots for Portland Saturday Market, ran the Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular at Fort Vancouver, worked in Production/Sales for KPTV Oregon’s 12, and managed the Saturday Conservatory of Music part-time for several years in L.A. Asner was Associate Producer of the film documentary MY FRIEND ED, voiced the role of Katherine in THE ROMANCING AND REAPING OF RIVEN ROCK, played the teacher in TIGER WITHIN, starred as Cindy in the film GOOD MORNING MISS AMERICA, wrote/directed the short Be Careful What You Wish For, and produced/wrote the documentary It Isn’t Just Politics. Asner has been producer, booker and stage manager of TWO JEWS TALKING, A MAN AND HIS PROSTATE, and GOD HELP US. She has two photo exhibits under her belt benefiting the Jewish Cuba Project.
Mitch Levine (Director) is a stage and film director, a directing member of the Actors Studio (where he leads its Directors Unit), a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and was a Fellow at the Juilliard School and the American Film Institute. He is proud to be directing this multi-year tour of GOD HELP US!, originally starring his friend, the late, great Ed Asner. His Holocaust film drama, SHADOWS ,won awards around the globe. He directed the films IN CONFIDENCE (Cannes 2015), HUNGRY IS THE TIGER and MORPHING GRAVITY. Mitch was Artistic Supervisor of the opera EINSTEIN ON THE BEACH, collaborated with Peter Gabriel and Moses Pendleton on PASSION, directed A DREAM WITHIN A DREAM for PRTE and Jean Anouilh’s ANTIGONE for the Williamstown Theatre Festival. In New York, he directed SORRY! at Circle Rep, AMORPHOUS GEORGE for MCC, TERROR AMERICA and A PUBLIC SERVICE at the Ohio Theatre and the revival Lyle Kessler’s ORPHANS at ATA. His adaptation of GODSPELL won Best Production/Best Director honors in La Jolla and his production of Arthur Kopit’s WINGS was a much-honored show in Los Angeles. Mitch is the President of The Film Festival Group and was the Creative Director of the Bicentennial Celebration of the University of Virginia. It was a vast production: four hours, 850 performers, 23,000 in the audience. In addition to GOD HELP US!, Mitch is preparing productions of Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s THE VISIT, starring Barbara Bain, and a multi-media setting of Verdi’s REQUIEM, commemorating and memorializing the genocides and massacres of the 20th and 21st centuries. For many years was Production Director of MOMIX Dance Theatre and a Special Representative to the United Nations.