When post-apocalyptic absurdist comedy Some Things You Need to Know Before the World Ends (A Final Evening with the Illuminati) opens at the Onyx Theatre, audiences will get a heaping helping of righteousness from a preacher with nothing to fear—and maybe not all of his marbles, either. “Reverend Eddie’s a fantastic opportunity from an acting point of view,” says Taylor Hanes, who’s wanted to play the role for many years. “It’s the end of time, and he’s reached his end of time. But it’s approached with a humorous angle.”
The humor comes across in sketches like the Reverend challenging the devil to a basketball showdown, or an applicant for sainthood deciding which martyrdom to pursue. In all of this, he’s assisted by his acolyte, Brother Lawrence—played in this production by the Onyx’s former artistic director Brandon Burk. “That freed me up to pursue my own performing career and some other opportunities,” Burk says of phasing out of his leadership role. Some of those opportunities include a stint at Utah Shakespeare Festival this summer. But Illuminati means a lot to him—and not just because he’s returning to the Onyx for the first time since he left last year. “This is a project that Taylor and I have been waiting to do for a long time,” Burk says. And since Troy Heard (director of the piece, and current leader of the Onyx) knows the writers from his time in Atlanta, “This seemed like the perfect team to do it.”
Some Things You Need To Know Before the World Ends (A Final Evening with the Illuminati) Through May 2; Thursday-Saturday, 7 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m.; $25. Onyx Theatre, 702-732-7225.
