LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT OFFERS AN ALTERNATIVE EASTER ENTERTAINMENT

The Last Days of Judas Iscariot

Written by Stephen Adly Guirgis
Directed by Todd Zeigler

A review by Keith Waits

Entire contents are copyright © 2011 Keith Waits. All rights reserved. 

Religion, specifically Christianity, can be a tough and touchy topic for an audience, and this lengthy script takes full advantage of theatre’s inherent ability to provoke. Working within an afterlife courtroom setting in which the principals are comprised of various idiosyncratic characters , the life and defining last days of Judas Iscariot are closely examined.   

The text is a challenge both for its strengths and its flaws, as the playwright occasionally tests the audience’s patience with redundancy and jarring tonal shifts.  Yet much of the material, whether scabrous comic monologues or vivid dramatic exchanges, is also quite thoughtful and engrossing; a probing, insightful investigation into questions of guilt and accountability surrounding the death of Jesus Christ; questions that inevitably prompt the audience to examine their own relationship to faith.

Director Todd Zeigler, in his equally thoughtful program notes, persuasively connects these themes to choices we make in our individual lives, framing the play in highly personal terms that confirm his own artistic statement.   

It is an earnest production, and, for the most part, entertaining and provocative, always a potent combination. Yet it carries its length as a burden, with some pacing problems and uneasy transitions that only exacerbate the flaws in the script. But if the viewer can stick with it, the rewards are well worth it.

There are many good performances on display, although the titular character takes almost a secondary and largely subdued role in the proceedings. All of the other characters talk about him, but Judas himself spends most of the evening in a near-catatonic condition, and Brandon Cox brings a spooky, haunted quality to his portrayal. More lively are Tony Smith, in a scenery-chewing but nonetheless enjoyable turn as prosecutor Yusef El-Fayoumy,  Dan Canon as a street-savvy, gangster-like Pontius Pilate, Ray Robinson as the difficult presiding judge, Christopher Folan as a vivid Saint Thomas, and especially Madeleine Miller as a sassy, sexy, foul-mouthed Saint Monica, speaking in a thick Puerto Rican accent and clad in a daring mini-skirt. Many of the cast performed multiple roles, and Ms. Miller’s appearance as a diminutive and argumentative Mother Theresa a few moments later proved an impressive and forceful talent was at work.  Even more startling was the electric presence and genuine menace that Jon Adams brought to his reading of a slick and debonair Satan.

If the other actors made less of an impression, the sober and humorless nature of the other roles might have been part of the reason. Tiffany Taylor was appropriately warm and devoted as Judas’ mother, and Timothy Brown brought a sure and reverent presence to the role of Jesus, but, as written, they were underdeveloped and more icons than characters. More successful on the serious side were John Hetzel’s focused take on the dogged and recalcitrant Caiaphas the Elder. His extended court examination was a highlight and provided some of the most intriguing ecclesiastical debate. Meg Caudill struggled to bring some force and impact to defense attorney Fabiana Aziza Cunningham, and played some second act melodrama for all it was worth, but I fear the charismatic Ms. Caudill was saddled with one of the more problematic roles in this script. Still, a super-charged confrontation between her and Mr. Adams’ Satan was a memorable scene.

In the end, just when it seems to have found a suitable ending, the text seems to sabotage itself by inserting a protracted denouement that seemed to leave many in the audience shaking their heads. It is an unfortunate inclusion that defies the quiet power of the beautiful scene before it, and the final, graceful coda that puts a better finish to it.

This is a without a doubt the most stimulating Easter weekend entertainment you are likely to find. Instead of the usual marathon broadcast of the ridiculous Cecil B. DeMille version of the Bible, give this rough but ready piece of theatre a try.

Starring: Jon Adams, Timothy Brown, Alan Canon, Dan Canon, Meg Caudill, Brandon Cox, Christopher Folan,Kathryn Furrow, John Hetzel, Faith Hoover, Madeleine Miller, Chris Petty, Ray Robinson, Tony Smith, Tiffany Taylor.

The Last Days of Judas Iscariot

April 22, 23, 28, 29, 30, 2011 8:00 pm
Special Performance Easter Sunday,April 24, 8:00pm

The Alley Theater
1205 East Washington Street
Louisville KY 40206
thealleytheater.org