The Last Days of Judas Iscariot
Encyclopedia
The Last Days of Judas Iscariot is a 2005 play by American playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis
first staged off-Broadway at The Public Theater on 2 March 2005 directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman
.
. The play uses flashbacks to an imagined childhood, and lawyers who call for the testimonies of such witnesses as Mother Teresa
, Caiaphas
, Saint Monica
, Sigmund Freud
and Satan
.
, and the cast included Eric Bogosian
(Satan), Liza Colón-Zayas
(Gloria/Mother Teresa/Ensemble), Jeffrey DeMunn
(Judge Littlefield/Caiaphas the Elder/St. Matthew), Yetta Gottesman (Loretta/Mary Magdalene/Ensemble), Craig muMs Grant (Matthias of Galilee/Delayne/St. Peter/Soldier 2/Ensemble), Stephen McKinley Henderson (Pontius Pilate/Uncle Pino), Salvatore Inzerillo (Bailiff/Simon the Zealot/Ensemble), Adrian Martinez
(Boaz the Assyrian Thief/Sigmund Freud/St. Thomas/Soldier 1), John Ortiz
(Jesus of Nazareth), Sam Rockwell
(Judas Iscariot), Elizabeth Rodriguez
(Saint Monica/Soldier 3/Ensemble), Deborah Rush
(Henrietta Iscariot/Sister Glenna/Ensemble), Kohl Sudduth (Butch Honeywell, Ensemble) Callie Thorne
(Fabiana Aziza Cunningham) and Yul Vázquez
(Yusef El-Fayoumy). It was designed by Andromache Chalfant, and ran for 2 hours, 40 minutes, with one intermission.
/European Premiere was at the Almeida Theatre
, and was directed by Rupert Goold
, and it ran from the 28th of March to the 10th May 2008. The cast included (in order of appearance) Amanda Boxer
(Henrietta Iscariot), Doña Croll
(Gloria/Mother Teresa), Corey Johnson
(Judge/Saint Peter), John Macmillan
(Bailiff/Simon the Zealot), Susan Lynch
(Fabiana Aziza Cunningham), Mark Lockyer (Yusef El-Fayoumy), Jessika Williams (St Monica), Poppy Miller
(Loretta/Sister Glenna/Mary Magdalene), Ron Cephas Jones (Uncle Pino/Pontius Pilate), Shane Attwooll (Butch Honeywell), Joseph Mawle
(Judas Iscariot), Josh Cohen (Matthias of Galilee/Freud/St Thomas), Gawn Grainger
(St Matthew/Caiaphas the Elder), Douglas Henshall
(Satan) and Edward Hogg
(Jesus of Nazareth). It was designed by Anthony Ward.
, under the direction of Todd Zeigler, with a scheduled opening date of April 22, 2011.
gave it a positive review, specially mentioning Eric Bogosian
's portrayal of Satan. NY Mag however said that for $50 a ticket, "LAB might eventually want to put forth a finished product."
The original West End production was met with almost unanimously positive reviews, The Hollywood Reporter
calling it "funny, profound and wildly entertaining", praising "sensational performances", and Charles Spencer
of The Daily Telegraph
starting his review with "it's hard to know where to begin with this astonishing play that knocked me for six at the Almeida", and finishing with "Guirgis and Goold have a sensational hit on their hands." Times Online however gave it 3 stars out of 5, saying "too much New York, maybe. One doesn’t want an earnestly pious, reverential play. But do we want one which tries to make big, big issues palatable by coating them not with sugar but, at times, with bubblegum?"
Stephen Adly Guirgis
Stephen Adly Guirgis is an American playwright, screenwriter, director, and actor. He is a member and co-artistic director of New York City's LAByrinth Theater Company. His plays have been produced on five continents and throughout the United States....
first staged off-Broadway at The Public Theater on 2 March 2005 directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman is an American actor and director. Hoffman began acting in television in 1991, and the following year started to appear in films...
.
Plot summary
The Last Days of Judas Iscariot tells the story of a court case over the ultimate fate of Judas IscariotJudas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus to the hands of the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver.-Etymology:...
. The play uses flashbacks to an imagined childhood, and lawyers who call for the testimonies of such witnesses as Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
, Caiaphas
Caiaphas
Joseph, son of Caiaphas, Hebrew יוסף בַּר קַיָּפָא or Yosef Bar Kayafa, commonly known simply as Caiaphas in the New Testament, was the Roman-appointed Jewish high priest who is said to have organized the plot to kill Jesus...
, Saint Monica
Saint Monica
Saint Monica may refer to:*Saint Monica, a Christian saint and mother of Saint Augustine*Saint Monica , a 2002 Canadian film...
, Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis...
and Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
.
Off-Broadway
The original production was directed by Philip Seymour HoffmanPhilip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman is an American actor and director. Hoffman began acting in television in 1991, and the following year started to appear in films...
, and the cast included Eric Bogosian
Eric Bogosian
Eric Bogosian is an American actor, playwright, monologist, and novelist of Armenian descent.-Personal life:Bogosian, an Armenian-American, was born in Woburn, Massachusetts, the son of Edwina, a hairdresser and instructor, and Henry Bogosian, an accountant. After graduating from Oberlin College,...
(Satan), Liza Colón-Zayas
Liza Colón-Zayas
Liza Colón-Zayas is an American actress and playwright.She was born and raised in the The Bronx borough of New York City, and began her career starring in Off-Broadway productions...
(Gloria/Mother Teresa/Ensemble), Jeffrey DeMunn
Jeffrey DeMunn
Jeffrey DeMunn is an American theatre, film and television actor.-Life and career:DeMunn was born in Buffalo, New York, the son of Violet and James DeMunn. Stepson of noted actress Betty Lutes DeMunn...
(Judge Littlefield/Caiaphas the Elder/St. Matthew), Yetta Gottesman (Loretta/Mary Magdalene/Ensemble), Craig muMs Grant (Matthias of Galilee/Delayne/St. Peter/Soldier 2/Ensemble), Stephen McKinley Henderson (Pontius Pilate/Uncle Pino), Salvatore Inzerillo (Bailiff/Simon the Zealot/Ensemble), Adrian Martinez
Adrian Martínez
Adrián Martínez Flores is a Mexican footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Irapuato FC.He previously played for San Luis F.C. in the Primera Division de Mexico....
(Boaz the Assyrian Thief/Sigmund Freud/St. Thomas/Soldier 1), John Ortiz
John Ortiz
John Ortiz is an American actor and Artistic Director/Co-Founder of LAByrinth Theater Company.-Career:In 1993, John made his film debut as Al Pacino’s young cousin ‘Guajiro’ in Carlito’s Way. He went on to appear in over 30 films including El Cantante, Take the Lead, Before Night Falls, Amistad,...
(Jesus of Nazareth), Sam Rockwell
Sam Rockwell
Sam Rockwell is an American actor known for his leading roles in Lawn Dogs, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Choke and Moon, as well as for his supporting roles in The Green Mile, Iron Man 2, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Frost/Nixon, Galaxy Quest, Matchstick Men, The Assassination of...
(Judas Iscariot), Elizabeth Rodriguez
Elizabeth Rodriguez
Elizabeth Rodriguez is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Carmen Morales on All My Children .-Filmography:-External links:...
(Saint Monica/Soldier 3/Ensemble), Deborah Rush
Deborah Rush
Deborah Rush is an American actress.Rush has worked in television, film and on Broadway. In 1984, she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play for Michael Frayn's comedy Noises Off. She also acted in Stephen Adly Guirgis' The Last Days of Judas Iscariot...
(Henrietta Iscariot/Sister Glenna/Ensemble), Kohl Sudduth (Butch Honeywell, Ensemble) Callie Thorne
Callie Thorne
Calliope "Callie" Thorne is an American actress known for her current role as Dr. Dani Santino on the USA Network series Necessary Roughness...
(Fabiana Aziza Cunningham) and Yul Vázquez
Yul Vazquez
Yul Vázquez was born in Cuba. He is an actor and he is married to Linda Larkin.He has appeared as “Bob” in the Seinfeld episodes “The Soup Nazi”, “The Sponge” and “The Puerto Rican Day”....
(Yusef El-Fayoumy). It was designed by Andromache Chalfant, and ran for 2 hours, 40 minutes, with one intermission.
West End
The original West EndWest End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
/European Premiere was at the Almeida Theatre
Almeida Theatre
The Almeida Theatre, opened in 1980, is a 325 seat studio theatre with an international reputation which takes its name from the street in which it is located, off Upper Street, in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre produces a diverse range of drama and holds an annual summer festival of...
, and was directed by Rupert Goold
Rupert Goold
Rupert Goold is an English theatre director. He is the artistic director of Headlong Theatre and from 2010 he will be an associate director at the Royal Shakespeare Company.- Early years :...
, and it ran from the 28th of March to the 10th May 2008. The cast included (in order of appearance) Amanda Boxer
Amanda Boxer
Amanda Boxer is an English actress who is best known for her television work and her performance in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot at the Almeida Theatre and The Painter by Rebecca Lenkiewicz at the Arcola Theatre....
(Henrietta Iscariot), Doña Croll
Doña Croll
Doña Croll is a Jamaican-born British actress. She is best known for her British soap opera roles as Pearl McHugh in Family Affairs and more recently as Vera Corrigan in the BBC soap, Doctors....
(Gloria/Mother Teresa), Corey Johnson
Corey Johnson
Corey Johnson is an American actor largely active in the United Kingdom. Johnson was born John Johnson in New Orleans, Louisiana....
(Judge/Saint Peter), John Macmillan
John MacMillan
John Stewart MacMillan is a retired a Canadian ice hockey forward.MacMillan began his National Hockey League career with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1960. He would also play with the Detroit Red Wings. Macmillan left the NHL following the 1965 season and retired from hockey altogether in 1971...
(Bailiff/Simon the Zealot), Susan Lynch
Susan Lynch
Susan Lynch is an actor from Northern Ireland.-Early life:Lynch was born in Corrinshego, Newry, County Armagh, Northern Ireland to an Italian mother and Irish father. Her brother is actor John Lynch, she has a sister, Pauline, who is a drama teacher at St...
(Fabiana Aziza Cunningham), Mark Lockyer (Yusef El-Fayoumy), Jessika Williams (St Monica), Poppy Miller
Poppy Miller
Poppy Miller is a British actress. Miller was born in Norwich, UK and studied philosophy and English at Cambridge University and later attended the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. She is mostly known for her role as DI Carol Browning in the British detective series The Commander...
(Loretta/Sister Glenna/Mary Magdalene), Ron Cephas Jones (Uncle Pino/Pontius Pilate), Shane Attwooll (Butch Honeywell), Joseph Mawle
Joseph Mawle
-Biography:Mawle graduated from Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in 2002 in the same year he appeared in the Irish Hurling TV adverts for Guinness. He began work in the theatre prior to training at Bristol mainly for Box Clever Theatre Company and in his own production of 'Solo Hamlet'He landed his...
(Judas Iscariot), Josh Cohen (Matthias of Galilee/Freud/St Thomas), Gawn Grainger
Gawn Grainger
Gawn Grainger is a leading British stage and screen actor and husband of actress Zoë Wanamaker.-Early life:Some sources indicate he was born in Glasgow, Scotland on 12 October 1937. He is the son of Charles Neil Grainger and his wife Elizabeth...
(St Matthew/Caiaphas the Elder), Douglas Henshall
Douglas Henshall
Douglas James Henshall is a Scottish actor probably best known for his role as Professor Nick Cutter in the British science fiction series Primeval.-Early life:...
(Satan) and Edward Hogg
Edward Hogg
Edward Hogg is an English actor, known for portraying Jesco White in White Lightnin and Stephen Turnbull in Bunny and the Bull.-Background:...
(Jesus of Nazareth). It was designed by Anthony Ward.
Louisville
The play is in rehearsal at The Alley Theater in Louisville, KentuckyLouisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, under the direction of Todd Zeigler, with a scheduled opening date of April 22, 2011.
New York City
The play will be staged by Sanguine Theatre Company at the Drilling Company at 236 West 78th Street in New York City August 18-21.Reception
The Last Days of Judas Iscariot was received fairly positively. Curtain UpCurtain Up
Curtain Up is a 1952 British film directed by Ralph Smart, written by Jack Davies and Philip King. It is based on the play Sunday for Seven Days by Philip King.-Plot:...
gave it a positive review, specially mentioning Eric Bogosian
Eric Bogosian
Eric Bogosian is an American actor, playwright, monologist, and novelist of Armenian descent.-Personal life:Bogosian, an Armenian-American, was born in Woburn, Massachusetts, the son of Edwina, a hairdresser and instructor, and Henry Bogosian, an accountant. After graduating from Oberlin College,...
's portrayal of Satan. NY Mag however said that for $50 a ticket, "LAB might eventually want to put forth a finished product."
The original West End production was met with almost unanimously positive reviews, The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
calling it "funny, profound and wildly entertaining", praising "sensational performances", and Charles Spencer
Charles Spencer (journalist)
Charles Spencer is a British journalist. He has been the drama critic of The Daily Telegraph since 1991. In 2006, Compton Miller of The Independent wrote in a profile: "This convivial ex-alcoholic is best remembered for his description of Nicole Kidman's nude scene in The Blue Room as 'pure...
of The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
starting his review with "it's hard to know where to begin with this astonishing play that knocked me for six at the Almeida", and finishing with "Guirgis and Goold have a sensational hit on their hands." Times Online however gave it 3 stars out of 5, saying "too much New York, maybe. One doesn’t want an earnestly pious, reverential play. But do we want one which tries to make big, big issues palatable by coating them not with sugar but, at times, with bubblegum?"