With Lucius Jenkins' spiritually transformed after killing eight people, Valdez becomes the default villain of the piece, if it has one, but Guirgis suggests that the Valdezes of the world reflect larger failings throughout the justice system. Reverend Kim, a Lexus-driving cult leader who's sucked in Angel's childhood friend, Joey. Angel Cruz and Lucius Jenkins face murder charges. There is nothing abstract about them: Mr. Guirgis says that the play began in his own attempt to rescue a friend from the Unification Church. He's being held there because, as he tells us, he "shot a man in the ass" earlier that week. HB Studio. Lucius (Carl Lumbly), an articulate serial killer who has found God, is Angel's next door cellmate. [2][3] The play was directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman. Our Father, who art in heaven, he stammers, Harold be thy name.. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train plays through April 21st at the SF Playhouse, 533 Sutter St, San Francisco. Be the first one to, Advanced embedding details, examples, and help, Prisons -- New York (State) -- New York -- Drama, urn:lcp:jesushoppedatrai0000guir_y8m1:lcpdf:c385346e-d259-4dec-814e-689ba64dc1b7, urn:lcp:jesushoppedatrai0000guir_y8m1:epub:4d85c109-bfbb-49e0-ade3-a74c2a2e37c1, Terms of Service (last updated 12/31/2014). Off Broadway Review: 'Jesus Hopped the A Train' - Yahoo! Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train does not offer a clear verdict, even while it implicitly criticises the judicial and penal systems of America. Angel's desperate desire for assurance and forgiveness make him, in a weird way, immediately lovable. Review: It's Law vs. Order in 'Jesus Hopped the "A" Train' Off Broadway Review: 'Jesus Hopped the A Train'. We are working with an Equity-approved safety plan that includes vaccination, testing, masking, cleaning and distancing protocols. His play Between Riverside and Crazy won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Lucius Jenkins, played by Dumi is an extremely articulate African American convicted serial killer who is trying to stall his extradition to Florida, where he will be executed. Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. GUIRGIS/Jesus Hopped the A Train/2001/Angel/Skiing in Aspen HERZOG/4000 Miles/2012/LEO/Chicken crash monologue . Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train - Stephen Adly Guirgis - Google Books Postponed from April when an actor became ill with COVID-19, this pandemic-era production forges resonant metaphors after so many months of socially separated isolation. Collective Consciousness Theatre, the black box theater in Erector Square with a penchant for urban dramas and works by authors of color, is back with its first production of the season: Stephen Adly Guirgis' sobering Jesus Hopped the A Train.First produced in 2000, the play sets up a situation where crime and punishment . An inmate at Rikers (ANGEL) struggles with his new circumstances as he tries to convince his fellow inmate (LUCIUS) to speak to him. The victim? It's a tight, well-paced and thoughtful staging . Perhaps it is to keep the drama from flying into pieces, therefore, that he clamps the procedural frame so firmly in place around the prisoners debates. . Renner criticized the characters of Hanraham and Valdez as heavy-handed, and also considered the play to contain "awkward exposition. He then mercilessly exploits that vulnerability by adding a contrasting pair of guards to the mix: one, named Charlie, a good-natured patsy; the other, Valdez, a by-the-rules sadist. T.Schreiber. Angel Cruz is a young Puerto Rican man incarcerated for shooting a cult leader after said person stole his best friend. Lucius Jenkins has found God, and Angel's life and the course of his trial will be changed forever. Jesus Hopped the "A" Train. Review: 'Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train' a passionate play about faith, duty Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter: Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train reveals a young playwright's awkwardness with its overwritten passages and reliance on expository monologues.But it also displays . who shot a cult leader in the ass because he had ensnared Angel's best friend in his "religion," and Edi Gathegi as Lucius Jenkins, a brutal murderer who found religion on his way to the executioner. T.Schreiber. Late in Jesus Hopped the "A" Train, . Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train revels in these complexities. If you dont have access to a reader, please present a monologue in the style of the show. Scotiabank Rising Teammates, Join StageAgent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. Ben Brantley reviews Labyrinth Theater Company production of Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train, directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman, at East 13th Street Theater; photo (M) Lucius Jenkins is a serial killer, . It's a tight, well-paced and thoughtful staging . But before that, you can dip into his earlier work with Eclipse Theatre Company's "Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train," the first entry in the company's all-Guirgis season. He's also suspicious and angry toward Mary Jane (Elizabeth Birnkrant), the public defender who sees in Angel's defiant attitude flashes of her own past as an angry "charity case" in a private school with a drunken father. Jesus Hopped the A Train book. But Mark Brokaws staging on a simple set by Riccardo Hernandez, sensitively lit by Scott Zielinski, is otherwise evenhanded and clean, as if not wanting to leave any fingerprints. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train - Circles & Stalls But they are also particular to our time and place, perhaps even more so now that the United States is the worlds largest jailer than they were in 2000. Search all monologues. In fact, that symmetry is present in almost every character. Valdez - (30s/40s/Ltino) He is the sadistic guard assigned to Lucius at Rikers. Terell W.J. Stephen Adly Guirgis' critical and hilarious examination o. web pages His play Between Riverside and Crazy won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. His first five plays were directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman, and subsequently received critically acclaimed productions in New York and London. Review: Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train - Durham Student Theatre Qty: Full Length, Drama 4 men, 1 woman Total Cast: 5, Flexible Set ISBN-13: 978--8222-1799-2. But after DAmico is canned for slipping Lucius contraband cookies, hes left without an audience. We meet two guards. The performance by Frankham was another highlight for me; the development of the character though her interactions with Angel and her later monologues was subtle, yet well conveyed. REVIEW: Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train - Intermission Opened Oct. 23, 2017. Research Playwrights, Librettists, Composers and Lyricists. Late in Jesus Hopped the "A" Train, . The two convicts talk about God and redemption, free-will, racism, addiction and the meaning of freedom. White, polished and put-together, Mary Jane dug herself out of a childhood filled with violence and poverty while Lucius succumbed to mental illness and hard drugs. But as Lucius works his sociopathic charm on Angel, he begins to open up little by little. Rather it is Mr. Guirgiss tip-off that what may look like a genre play a legal procedural is going to consider Gods justice as well as mans. Isaac. glass, to create the sense that characters might be talking to, arguing with, But when the Reverend dies in hospital, Angel lands in solitary confinement next to Lucius, a card-carrying Christian serial-killer. Valdez (Christian M. Castro), the quick-with-the-club guard, has no use for Lucius' proclamations of faith. New York, NY, Ages 12-17: Camp Broadway Ensemble @ Carnegie Hall Other Characters From Jesus Hopped the A Train. agrees to represent him. What Does Cameron Call His Style Of Rhythm? If you would like to give a public performance of this monologue, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor. When Jesus Hopped The A Train begins, you think its going to be a story about Angel Cruz, a thirty-year-old Latino who winds up in prison after shooting a cult leader in a botched mission to rescue his brainwashed friend. Due to a planned power outage on Friday, 1/14, between 8am-1pm PST, some services may be impacted. [17], Michael Billington of The Guardian, who had given the play three out of five stars in 2002,[18] gave the same rating after a 2019 performance and said that "for all the vividness of the dialogue, the play still strikes me as baffling in its exploration of guilt, faith and redemption." Howard?) amidst the cacophony of his incarcerated neighbors telling him, in no polite terms, to shut up. benchmade adamas exclusive; disney plus march 2022 releases; The opening joke is not, therefore, cheap. Some movie actress, she got incested once or twice, she so brave to come forward! Lucius and Angel act as spiritual foils. Monologues are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. The kind that opens up the scope of a script. Truth versus lies. Black Voices in Research - Episode 2: Juneteenth But it also displays incendiary passion and insight into its troubled characters". Sure, it tells a story of addiction and cyclical abuse a narrative we've grown to expect about those who go behind bars. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train | TheaterMania Review: Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train brings a poetic and profane But it also displays incendiary passion and insight into its troubled characters". Review: Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train (Soulpepper) Playing Lucius Jenkins, a fellow inmate convicted of murdering eight people, Riggins delivers the kind of . To see it in such an intimate black box in the middle of an energetic and well-thought-out production for $25 a ticket feels, in you pardon the joke, like a crime. [4][5][6] The original cast included Salvatore Inzerillo, John Ortiz, and David Zayas, Ron Cephas Jones, and Elizabeth Canavan.[4]. Photograph by Teresa Wood. Angel Cruz and Lucius Jenkins face murder charges. Jesus Hopped the A . Early on in the play, Valdez has a monologue-which may appear to be his only redeeming moment in the play. . Still, they're full of rhetorical fireworks. Uploaded by how long does academy background check take for gun. The play is essentially a set of monologues stitched together at the edges, and showing signs of fraying. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train closes October 15, 2017 Details and tickets -[/ezcol_1third] It's startling to watch Luciusa so-called man of Godinfluence Angel in a way akin to Rev. Rehearsals and performances held indoors at Actors Express. Angel Cruz is a 30-year-old bicycle messenger awaiting trial for the death of the leader of a religious cult. Short North Stage will stream Jesus Hopped the A Train through June 27.Tickets cost $15. Start: Hail MaryHail MaryHail Mary Ages 12-17: Camp Broadway Ensemble @ Carnegie Hall. Lucius Jenkins - (40's/50's/Black) He is a charismatic, confident convicted serial killer but he has . It's the reason I keep coming back to Collective Consciousness. The kind that seems so raw and dangerous, you almost feel like a creep for listening in but then anxiously wait for his return whenever he leaves the stage. Angel Cruz, a poor Puerto Rican, isn't . If it reached no further, the breakneck drama, originally produced by the Labyrinth Theater Company in 2000, would be a worthy enough stunt, a jukebox of Mamet-scaled vulgarity. Whereas other productions have enclosed the action in He relishes his Jesus Hopped the A Train - Play. Capture a web page as it appears now for use as a trusted citation in the future. Director Chari Arespocachaga, who also staged Short North Stages 2020 area premiere of Guirgis The (Expletive) with the Hat, again knits together a well-paced production that scores with edgy insights and dark humor. Jesus Hopped the A Train. Angel (Sean Carvajal) is being held pending trial for the shooting of a Reverend Kim, the leader of a religious organization modeled on Sun Myung Moons Unification Church. Particularly thought-provoking is a monologue by Matthew Douglas as Charlie, the guard before Valdez who was fired, whose initial amicable relationship with Lucius is clouded by his final visitation. jesus hopped the a train lucius monologue. Sean Carvajal stars in Stephen Adly Guirgis's Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train, directed by Mark Brokaw, at Signature Theatre. Hives Not Going Away With Prednisone, But the guy dies, and the Angel is in solitary . AE is fully committed to diversity, inclusion and equal employment opportunity. The opening monologue, in which Angel struggles to say the Lords Prayer but repeatedly mangles it, is so packed with frustrated profanities that it evokes David Mamets extremes. Anyone can read what you share. Gender: Male. Elysium Theatre deserve much credit for bringing Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train to Manchester for the first time. All people wanna do is cry for the victims! Re-read the monologue. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. . Signature Theater presents a revival of 'Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train,' a 2000 drama by Stephen Adly Guirgis, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of 'Between Riverside and Crazy' and 'The Motherf . George Jetson Birthday, (played with methodical control by Dervla Kirwan) takes a liking to him and The themes are smartly presented and evident without having public defender Mary Jane (Bridget McCarthy) say one mans neurotic is another mans hero, and who, ultimately, can say which ones which with any real certainty at all? The guard Valdez is not given the depth and nuance doled out to the other characters. Even if Guirgis' play doesn't always add up, the individual pieces are highly watchable. When the cult leader dies during surgery, Angel suddenly finds himself facing murder charges. For tickets and information, call Ticket Central at 212 . Lucius Jenkins - (40s/50s/Black) He is a charismatic, confident convicted serial killer but he has a strong Christian faith since being incarcerated. . Jesus Hopped the A Train. (Kevin Scott's grimy set and Kevin Hagan's harsh lighting capture the joyless world of the jail yard.). is a lot of reason to like him or at least be impressed by him. Brayden Fagbemis putback rescues No. Angel Cruz, a poor Puerto Rican, isn't sure why he's in jail after shooting Reverend Kim, the born-again Christian who brainwashed his best friend. . The latter shot a Korean minister (apparently modeled after the Rev. The play was performed during the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland in August 2001. Guirgis tosses a lot of moral questions into the mix here, and while he avoids moralizing (as does Anish Jethmalani's crisp and high-octane production), he also doesn't seem to have fully decided whether he's writing a searing portrait of the dehumanization of the correctional system or a theological deconstruction of the rock of faith in a hard place. We are committed to principles of ethical and diverse representation in our casting. Review of Jesus Hopped the A Train, Collective Consciousness Theatre . . Lucius has found God and been reborn. other. But it isnt that clear, of course. . . they come through these characters whose unbridled sense of humour, stories, Angel Cruz is a young Puerto Rican man incarcerated for shooting a cult leader after said person "stole" his best friend. Collective Consciousness Theatres Jesus Hopped The A Train by Stephen Adly Guirgis runs through November 11 at Erector Square (319 Peck Street, Building 6S) in New Haven, CT. Jesus, directed by Dexter J. Singleton and produced by Jenny Nelson, stars Jhulenty Delossantos (Angel), Rob Giardian (DAmico), Jason Hall (Valdez), Bridget McCarthy (Mary Jane Hanrahan) & Terrence Riggins (Lucius). Stephen Adly Guirgis's plays include Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train, Our Lady of 121st Street, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, The Little Flower of East Orange, and The Motherf*cker with the Hat. Playing Lucius Jenkins, a fellow inmate convicted of murdering eight people, Riggins delivers the kind of bravura performance that makes you lean in closer to not miss a single syllable. "Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train" arrives at the 13th Street Theater with all the trappings of a grass-roots Off Broadway hit: a dollop of street credibility in the person of its brooding leading man . JESUS HOPPED THE A TRAIN - Equity video submissions Actor's Express Theatre Company | Atlanta, GA, Associate Artistic Director Amanda Washington. Father Flynn. In one particularly impressive monologue, Adjepong's Lucius exercises whilst addressing his religious beliefs; the actor's energy doesn't falter once as he performs . Riverside Jacksonville News, . station23.cebu "[14], In a review of one of Guirgis's later works, Hilton Als described Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train as "hysterical and irreverent", "an outstanding 2000 piece about imprisonment and moral responsibility. Set in a US penitentiary - where Magda Willi's stage design could literally squeeze the life out of newly arrived prisoner Puerto Rican Angel Cruz - Kate Hewitt's production of Jesus Hopped The 'A' Train shines a new light on the religious debates that have come to define this critically acclaimed play.Angel is brought to Rikers Island pending a court case for shooting Rev Kim, a . Jesus Hopped the "a " Train( main work) . . Playing the charismatic older convict, Lucius a self-proclaimed child of god who has killed six people Jones is a live coal onstage. He brings Lucius Oreo cookies and cigarettes; his wife baked Lucius a shepherd's pie; D'Amico and Lucius share a buddylike badinage. Jesus Hopped the A Train. . rikers island prison, new york, present day, Ages 12-17: Camp Broadway Ensemble @ Carnegie Hall. On his first night at Rikers Island, a terrified inmate named Angel Cruz tries to reconstruct the Lord's Prayer from his broken memories. Ben Brantley reviews Labyrinth Theater Company production of Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train, directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman, at East 13th Street Theater; photo (M) . Puetro-Rican, Angel, played with refined commitment by Ukweli Roach, shot a religious cult leader in the behind, landing him with potential murder charges.. Singhateh is compelling as evangelising killer Lucius, his performance cleverly toying with the audience's sympathies as he slips between charming bonhomie and cold-bloodedness. Another effect may be an accident of timing, but todays viewers may connect most to Guirgis 2000 play when one prisoner says: Were in lockdown no contact whatsoever.. The play's format, which really focuses on a series of monologues and duologues - offers a complete focus on the individuals . . Lucius is awaiting extradition to Florida to take responsibility for the trail of bodies he left behind. But the audience also hears stories of childhood friendships and complicated . New York, NY, Accessibility Statement Terms Privacy |StageAgent 2020. Earley Dean capably conveys the redemptive Christian spirituality, manic energy and residue of mental problems of Lucius Jenkins, a serial killer on Death Row trying to make a positive impact before hes gone. Angel Cruz. One has been serving his sentence for years, but his discovery of God helps him find joy in his days. These near-monologues are often gorgeous, but they can also be weirdly self-negating; in 'A' Train, they don't even always make sense. Please prepare one of the sides available at https://actors-express.com/get-involved/ . Packed densely into a bullet-fast script, a barrage of . Publication date 2002 Topics . Laura Baronet. Backed up by wonderful performances all around especially McCarthy who does heart-breaking and detailed work as Mary Jane Jesus is the kind of tough, uncompromising theater that is as philosophically engaging as it is emotionally and theatrically. Much of it also seems unneeded and diverting. Two years later a similar production was mounted at Londons Donmar Warehouse. Review: Its Law vs. Order in Jesus Hopped the A Train, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/23/theater/jesus-hopped-the-a-train-review.html, Sean Carvajal, left, and Ricardo Chavira in Jesus Hopped the A Train.. Lucius Jenkins: Male, 40-49 Work from Home Christian, serial killer, smug, confident, and charismatic, with a near manic upbeat energy. Yet, by the end of the play, the opening scenes dark hilarity appears more to have been a groping first effort toward a sincere rediscovery of faith perhaps Guirgis deepest theme. by Stephen Adly Guirgis. In one particularly impressive monologue, Adjepong's Lucius exercises whilst addressing his religious beliefs; the actor's energy doesn't falter once as he performs . His poetry has appeared in various literary publications in the United States and abroad. Elysium Theatre deserve much credit for bringing Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train to Manchester for the first time. One of the most striking things about Soulpepper's Jesus Hopped The 'A' Train is how multi-dimensional its main characters are. . Are we really laughing with Angel or at him? 4. one hour of sunlight a day and he has all of the, Adly Guirgis raises questions And these characters sure do perform! Kim's described affect on Joey, the friend Angel fought so hard to free from a cultish existence built by a false prophet. House of Actors is proud to present "Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train". He shares an isolation wing with Angel, placed there for protection after he was attacked and raped while on remand. Jesus Hopped was fairly well received by critics and though it did not pick up any major awards in its US run, it was nominated for an Olivier Award in the UK in the category of Best New Play in 2003. The cast of "Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train" by Eclipse Theatre. "Our Father, who art in . Hes a violent, racist jerk and not much else, although casting Hall in the role does give it some interesting subtext. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train is a multi-layered discussion about morality in all its forms and how the artificiality of prison with its removal of humanity and, perhaps quaint, concept of punishment, challenges concepts of responsibility and redemption. The characters have nowhere to hide so it heightens the In fact . A long traverse stage, no more than two Apply for Rights. An LA Theater Works production of Stephen Adly Guirgis's play about Angel Cruz, a Puerto Rican who is in jail after a prank turned badly: He shoots Reverend Kim in the, uh, posterior, after Kim, a rich hypocrite preacher, brainwashed his best friend. Photo: Tristram Kenton. the shock of the charismatic Lucius' descriptions of his own murders, and finally, the 'A' train itself. Join StageAgent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. -+ Ravi Ghosh . Dualities galore is the name of the game in Jesus Hopped The 'A' Train! Joey said, "Jesus hopped the A train to see us safe to bed." **** Mary Jane . But Nieves' resonant performance negotiates the line between adolescence and adulthood, faith and nihilism and other boundaries that cage in Angel's soul as surely as the Rikers walls encase his body. . That Lucius (Edi Gathegi) is generally sunny and witty despite having killed eight people plays with our loyalties. Making moments memorable are flashbacks some characters share. Portland Monthly; Seattle Met; Sarasota Magazine; Aspen Sojourner; Vail-Beaver Creek Magazine; Park City Magazine; Houstonia Magazine 2799 Katy Freeway, Suite 250, Houston, TX 77007 Phone: 713-862 . friend. The performance by Williams was understated but effective and led to one of the most compelling scenes, where D'Amico is describing Lucius' execution. Furthermore, staging A good opportunity to break away from the constant repetition of intense conflicts were monologues delivered to the . Although some of its pungent dialogue verges on debate and a few monologues seem too on the nose, Stephen Adly Guirgis off-Broadway drama ultimately transcends ideology to offer a poignant portrait of human fallibility and good intentions gone astray. JOHN DRUZBA - Resume | Actors Access Angel Cruz, a poor Puerto Rican, isn't . jesus hopped the a train lucius monologue - kestonrocks.com We only provide suggested audition monologues or songs for an individual character if our system finds content that matches a character's traits. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train. It allows Lucius' evangelism to soar and Hanrahan's monologues to gain an air of a courtroom. So many issues are raised that a play much longer than this two-hour, 15-minute streaming production would strain to do all of them justice. This 2000 play, which has had a few productions locally, probably carries extra resonance in a year when criminal justice and questions about mass incarceration have been pushed to the foreground. Dont be a God-fearing man, Valdez warns Lucius, be a Valdez-fearing man.. Plot synopsis. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train.