Ivey, Burke get laughs in 'Savannah Disputation'

Together, these actresses offer compelling arguments for your attendance at "The Savannah Disputation," Evan Smith's mild comedy about the theological clash between two Catholic ladies of a certain age and an eager young evangelical on the proselytizing trail.

Both Ivey and Burke are canny professionals who know how to get a laugh even when the material barely registers above sitcom level on the giggle meter. And Smith's play, which opened Tuesday at off-Broadway's Playwrights Horizons, contains a surprising number of jokes that depend on the good will of its audience.

Dogmatic Mary, played by Ivey, and easygoing Margaret, portrayed by Burke, are sisters living together in a pleasant Georgia home festooned with religious artifacts. When pert blond Melissa (Kellie Overbey) knocks on their door to talk about God's word, you know an argument will erupt — especially when she refers to the pope as the Antichrist.

Margaret sweetly listens. But Mary's bark — Ivey excels at delivering barbs with pinpoint accuracy — gets the better of her and she decides to teach the interloper a lesson. Her weapon? Invite Melissa and the local parish priest (Reed Birney) to dinner and expect him to demolish the woman's religious arguments.

Along the way, Smith hints at a life for the young woman beyond her door-to-door missionary work: a gay ex-husband and a romantic relationship with her own pastor. The sisters, too, have their difficulties. There are recurring, ominous messages on their answering machine about a medical test for an unnamed problem, although it is never identified during the play and sort of just hangs there, awkwardly embedded in the plot.

The planned revenge doesn't work out exactly as Mary expects — with the priest going out of his way to avoid a confrontation, until pressed, and eventually questioning Mary's own commitment to Catholicism.

Birney is low-key as the scholarly cleric, a reassuring contrast to the high-pitched combativeness going on around him.

Yet "The Savannah Disputation" doesn't disparage religion. In its more serious moments, the play is supportive of those who make a commitment to it and don't just accept selective tenets of faith.

At an intermissionless 90 minutes, "The Savannah Disputation" is just about the right length. And director Walter Bobbie knows exactly what to do to keep the slight evening moving forward. He puts his two wonderful leading ladies center stage — and keeps them there for us to enjoy.