the last days of judas iscariot by stephen adly guirgis

Somewhere along the way, the audience grasps that this isn’t just the trial of Judas Iscariot it’s the trial of humanity.

The final moment of Judas belongs to actor Stephen Dexter, who delivers the show’s closing monologue with perfect flow and extreme pathos. In the final scene, Judas is finally given the chance to speak for himself, and his exchange with Jesus – played by Michael Billingsley – hits home like a thunder strike after the play’s series of cross-examinations, questionings, and avoidances. The action is so immersive that, in the capable hands of Parsons and her cast, Judas feels more like an actual court case, with the audience serving as spectators or even jury-members, than it does a piece of theater.

Not one of Guirgis’ characters falls flat, and each cast-member performs his or her part with wonderful bravado. The wide range of spirited characters in Judas is the play’s most endearing feature. Meanwhile, in the role of Satan, Javier Molina is at once terrifying, suave, and immensely complex.īut the best actors in the cast aren’t limited to these roles. Grimaldi brings humor and spirit to the part of Judas’ prosecutor, and Di Donna is by equal turns aggressive and empathetic as his defense. Suzanne Di Donna and Daniel Grimaldi are well-matched as opposing attorneys in the case. From comatose, to insanely drunk, to desperately remorseful, Furman’s Judas runs the full gamut of human emotions. With a fantastic cast filling roles as diverse as they are spirited, Guirgis’ tragi-comedy about man’s relationship to God finds a fitting home at La MaMa’s Ellen Stewart Theatre.Īs Judas Iscariot, Gabriel Furman gives a devastating performance. God.ĭirected by Public Theater veteran Estelle Parsons, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot celebrates La MaMa’s 55th anniversary, and Actors Studio’s 70th. The event is the trial of the ages: Judas Iscariot v. In The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis prods us to begin answering those questions. Judas Iscariot is one of history’s greatest ciphers: no one seems to know what to make of him, and the Biblical portrait of the infamous traitor leaves many questions unanswered.

The last days of judas iscariot by stephen adly guirgis