“Oh Happy Day!” may sound like church: The plot retells the Biblical story of Noah’s Ark;  a divinely-dressed trio called the Divines belt out original gospel songs; we hear theological discussions and sermon-like exhortations.

But playwright and actor Jordan E. Cooper peoples his play with a struggling family in present-day Mississippi who are full of angry resentments and bitter memories. And Cooper, whose play “Ain’t No Mo’” on Broadway three years ago presented a collection of barbed satirical sketches, here largely puts drama and trauma center stage. 

That is not what we’re expecting when the Divines greet us with their first song, “A Good Day to Be Happy,” and then a back-and-forth patter worthy of Borscht Belt comedians.  They tell us they are ancient spirits: “This is what four thousand years old looks like when you moisturize,” says Holy Divine (Tiffany Mann.)   Their job is “to be the first thing humans see when it’s their time to cross over,” as Mighty Divine (Sheléa Melody McDonald) explains. But then Mighty Divine tells us about their new case: Early this morning, “a  son was killed on the morning of his father’s birthday. Murdered at point blank range.”

This is Keyshawn (portrayed by Jordan E. Cooper.) Although he was estranged from his family and now dead, God has chosen him to build a boat to save that family from the coming storm. When he shows up at this childhood home, his sister Niecy (Tamika Lawrence) is surprised but welcoming. His father Lewis (Brian D. Coats) is openly hostile. Keyshawn, who was reluctant to visit in the first place, starts cursing them out, and angrily throwing the lawn furniture around – until he’s stopped by God, who happens to take the form of Keyshawn’s young nephew Kevin (Donovan Louis Bazemore) reminding Keyshawn of his mission, and of the reward he will receive – happiness in the afterlife. “if you can save your family from the flood, you will prove to me that you have no hatred in your heart”

All of the performers are well-cast, which helps make some of the exchanges vivid enough to be entertaining. At one point, Niecy relaxes with a joint, while she expresses extreme skepticism that Keyshawn really has a mission from God; she assumes he’s just high:

Niecy: I can’t believe I let you around my kid like this.
Keyshawn: Bitch, you the one smoking
Niecy: This kindergarten drugs, yo ass over here gettin a PHD.
Keyshawn: I ain’t on nothing right now, Niecy. I really wish I was, but I’m not.

But as “Oh Happy Day!” unfolds, we learn bit by bit of the reasons for the family’s estrangement, and it’s ugly. Keyshawn’s father threw him out of the house when he was a teenager because he’s gay, and Keyshawn became homeless, used hard drugs, and survives by having sex with men for money.   We eventually learn that Keyshawn’s father Lewis was a drug dealer, and his mother a drug addict, and that Lewis served time for killing a man who had given drugs to his wife…

Let me stop here to say that I’m not sure whether telling you any of this grim backstory is a spoiler, but that’s not even the half of it; the revelations become even worse.

So it’s understandable why “Oh Happy Day!” starts to fill up with angry rants and shouting matches – some of it between Keyshawn and whoever is embodying God at the moment (the other three family members all get their turn.)  But many of these scenes make the play feel long and talky. Cooper seems to lose interest in the plot while he explores the hypocrisy of the religious, the nature of forgiveness, and the importance of love and acceptance. It’s also understandable why Cooper might feel the need to tack on a happy ending, But such manufactured uplift feels a tad undermining. “Oh Happy Day!” has some smart things to say about the necessary pursuit of happiness in troubling times: “If you can’t own your happy in the dark, it will only be rented in the light.”

Oh Happy Day!
Public Theater through November 2
Running time: 2 hours and 10 minutes including one intermission.
Written by Jordan E. Cooper
Original songs by Donald Lawrence
Directed by Stevie Walker-Webb 
Scenic design by Luciana Stecconi, costume design by Qween Jean, lighting design by Adam Honoré, sound design by Taylor J. Williams,hair and wig design by Mia Neal, makeup design by Kirk Cambridge Del-Pesche, prop management by Samantha Llanes Gordon, choreographyby Eboni Nichols,dramaturgy by Jack Phillips Moore, music contracting by Sara Jacovinoand Kristy Norter, and music direction/supervision/orchestration/additional music by Daniel Rudin.Jakob W. Plummer serves as production stage managerand Monét Thibouas stage manager
Cast: Donovan Louis Bazemore (Kevin), Brian D. Coats (Lewis), Jordan E. Cooper (Keyshawn), Tamika Lawrence (Niecy), Tiffany Mann (Holy Divine), Sheléa Melody McDonald (Mighty Divine), Latrice Pace (Glory Divine). ​​