2010 Season – Crisis of Faith

The Last Days of Judas Iscariot
by Stephen Adly Guirgis

Directed by Frank B. Moorman

With Nick Beschen, Danny Brooks, Dean Davis, Tanya Davis, Stephen Deininger, Chris Haley, James Jager, Eric Lund, Brenda Mack, Lesley Miller, Frank B. Moorman, Sue Struve, Alicia Sweeney, Jason Vaughan

Not since Angels in America has a play been so unafraid to acknowledge the power of the spirit. The Last Days of Judas Iscariot takes place in Hope, a small section of Purgatory where litigation determines the fates of its inhabitants. Thanks to a writ signed by God, himself, Judas Iscariot-Jesus’s infamous betrayer-is on trial, though he is in a catatonic state in Hell. In a hilarious and well-written dramedy, viewers will find themselves questioning their own opinions on despair, morality, and salvation.

Director’s Notes
Why would an atheist want to direct a play about a central tenet of one of the world’s major religions? That certainly is a puzzle. But first, riddle me this.

How can a religion based on forgiveness and love condemn one of its own to eternal damnation—stuck, in Dante’s powerful imagery, head-first in the mouth of Satan, to be chewed for eternity?

The answer to such a question does not really interest me. I think answers, delivered with the certitude and finality of the true believer, stop the flow of thought. I find questions far more engaging, because they lead to a greater range of possibilities and considerations. They engage that most human faculty, the capacity to think.

As a nonbeliever, I acknowledge that the Jesus story is one of the great ones. Its impact on our world is immeasurable. Despite centuries of doubt and challenge, it is not going away. Neither are the other religions that Christians have sought to annihilate. The Jesus story will change, and it certainly lives today in a bewildering variety of guises, some more reasonable than others.

What intrigues me the most, both as a human and an artist, are the contra-dictions inherent in any great story. The struggle with these contradictions, when conducted openly and with an honesty of spirit, tell us more about the people, the story, and human possibility than final answers could possibly do. Mother Teresa may believe that “It must be hard to have only questions.” I disagree. Some answers may be useful, but questions are far more fascinating.

As to my first question: a great story, archetypal characters, laughter, tears, a rare vitality of language, drama, and comedy all in one? What’s not to love?