By: Deon C. Jefferson
Award winning actor, Deaon Griffin-Pressley, stars in a new original national touring play, Satan Vs God. The production has been accepted into the 2021 Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, U.K. Satan Vs God is written & performed by Deaon Griffin-Pressley, directed by Judy Barr and cinematography by Andrè Russell.
“The ultimate matchup for the ages… from an alternative perspective,” said Rev. Dr. Wylie Hughes of the Ascension Peace Presbyterian Church. “Mr. Griffin-Pressley has managed to pack deep theological commentary, intense drama and graphic imagery into one powerhouse of a play! I was riveted from start to finish and was left with so much to ponder and wrestle with that I was begging to watch it again”!
Satan Vs God is a dramatic one-man show with music and dance. It tells the story of how Satan is desperate to return to heaven giving rational justifications to win God’s heart again. During the production, Satan begs God not to send Christ back to end the world. Instead of sending Christ back, Satan pleads for power to kill off humanity and start earth all over again. Seeing as though religion is often not viewed this way, one can only won-der what the outcome would be. Will God consider giving Satan the consent to stop the world and return to heaven?
The play is one of a kind and features thought provoking subject matter. After viewing the production, there will be tons of questions. One of the biggest ones would be where did the in-spiration come from?
“I’d be lying if I said the meat of the play came from just reading the bible alone. In order to understand who Satan was/is particularly, I had to experience the ego of men and women in various relationships that were very unhealthy, abusive and frankly, dangerous. For the longest time I thought that Satan was below the earth with a pitchfork waiting to burn those in the lake of fire if they sinned and God was beyond the clouds and only accessible by a stairway if you lived righteously”, mentions Pressley. “The allegory and the metaphor between the two forces never quite registered in my brain until much later in life when I witnessed the energies of God and Satan play-out with-in the eyes and deeds of humankind. To be real, I had to feel the presence of God and Satan from a heart space as well as a head space. That was kind of impossible to do just reading and intellectualizing scriptures (while being frightened by them) and attending church on Sunday’s. Someone wise once said “experience is the best teacher”. I think this most certainly is a fact”.
Satan vs God is directed by highly sought-after director, playwright, and producer Judy Barr. The Miami native is highly committed to providing wholesome entertainment that will educate, empower, and inspire youth. Barr is also the founder of the Iron Barr-Group, which is a non-profit performance arts organization which was established in 1994. She has co-written and directed productions such as “Epic Journey” and “I am Blues”. Cinematography duties for Satan vs God was handled by Andre Russell. The South Florida resident also edited the production. Russell is a Carbonell Award winning actor with experience with writing and composing.
DGP Productions premiered Satan vs God digitally in the UK at The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, also known as Edinburg Fringe and a host of other names. It takes place in Edinburgh, Scotland for the month of August. Established in 1947, Edinburgh Festival is the world’s largest arts festival. In 2018, the massive festival took place over a span of twenty-five days and featured more than 55,000 performances of 3,548 different shows in 317 venues. In terms of global ticket sales, only the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup surpasses them. The reviews about the production have been positive in Scotland and here in the states.
“The title alone “Satan vs God,” is itself a provocation! But Deaon Griffin-Pressley’s play approaches this eternal Cosmic conflict with a uniquely surprising angle. The play imagines Satan as appealing to God for forgiveness; a rarely seen storyline to say the least,” says J.V. Pimienta-Bey, PhD, African American Studies Professor at Berea University. “The dialogue is intense, thought provoking, soul-stirring, and timely. It offers a powerfully appropriate contemporary critique of religion in general and Christianity in particular. Pressley’s skills as a young actor, prove to be up for the challenge in conveying the emotion, depth, and intensity that is required for such a dramatic premise. Well done!”
Pressley has built an impressive career in the arts. The Fort Lauderdale native is an award-winning New York City based classically trained actor. His natural knack for playwriting, singing, and producing has led him to be a part of productions such as “I Have a Dream: The Broadway Musical” among a host of other notable productions. His plays have been produced with Broadway producers like Woodie King’s Jr’s New Federal Theater, as well as Patrick Blake with Rhymes Over Beats. Deaon has studied theatre at AMDA in New York City as well as the British American Drama Academy at Oxford University in England under a full scholarship from the English-Speaking Union. He is a company member with Shakespeare & Company and is the CEO/Founder of DGP Theatre Productions. Judging by his resume, there is no question of how you will be moved and inspired by this production.
“Deaon Griffin-Pressley has crafted a nuanced appendix to a well-worn story. But unlike any I’ve read who’ve approached this daunting taboo of the human-condition; Deaon has shaken off many boundaries which have entrenched themselves throughout the global history of Christendom”, says author and Reverend A. David Griffin, M.Div. “If you’re searching for a context that holds true to a protestant tradition, gothic art, Church symbolism, look no further. The one man shows: “Satan vs. God” is a MUST see.”
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