Story. (Kevin Greene) Soulpepper Theatre presents Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train, a graphic and distressing story of two prison inmates serving time for murder. Lucius Jenkins, a.k.a. We see how his case becomes of a professional project Aside from that hilarious and heartbreaking first sentence, theres not much I can quote from Stephen Adly Guirgiss Jesus Hopped the A Train, which opened on Monday in a riveting revival by the Signature Theater. Why is it significant to the play? . Before Angel arrived, Lucius would spend this time chatting with DAmico, a kindly guard played by Rob Giardian. For tickets and information, call Ticket Central at 212 . Two years later a similar production was mounted at Londons Donmar Warehouse. When the cult leader dies during surgery, Angel suddenly finds himself facing murder charges. Thirty-year-old Angel Cruz (Xavier Lopez) has just been thrown in Riker's Island prison, the notorious institution on New York City's East River. He shares an isolation wing with Angel, placed there for protection after he was attacked and raped while on remand. . Join StageAgent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. What does it mean? Jesus hopped the 'A' train by Guirgis, Stephen Adly. Contents 1 Plot synopsis 2 Productions 3 Reception 4 References 5 External links Plot synopsis The play takes place in a prison on Rikers Island in New York. [11] The production team included director Mark Brokaw, Riccardo Hernndez as set designer, Dede M. Ayite as costume designer, Scott Zielinski as lighting designer, and M.L. Plot synopsis. The play was produced in London at the Donmar Warehouse in 2002. By Jesse Green. Lucius has found God and been reborn. 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. meters wide with a concrete floor, runs from one end of the auditorium to the Angel Cruz. Qty: Full Length, Drama 4 men, 1 woman Total Cast: 5, Flexible Set ISBN-13: 978--8222-1799-2. That is exactly where Mr. Guirgis, who won a 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Between Riverside and Crazy, wants us: in a confused crouch that renders us vulnerable to deeper questioning. 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 reveals a young playwright's awkwardness with its overwritten passages and reliance on expository monologues. Four glass Jesus beautifully toys with that idea, like in Mary Janes monologue about her alcoholic father. Nor does Angel, at least initially. We meet two guards. 'All I did was shoot him in the ass', he explains to his long-suffering lawyer Mary Hanrahan. Creative_Project (1).docx. These near-monologues are often gorgeous, but they can also be weirdly self-negating; in 'A' Train, they don't even always make sense. One has been serving his sentence for years, but his discovery of God helps him find joy in his days. Howard?) amidst the cacophony of his incarcerated neighbors telling him, in no polite terms, to shut up. Photo: Tristram Kenton. Was it my free will to turn ta drugs and alcohol as a result a that sh*t? Lucius Jenkins. 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. Lucius, despite Taylor's fearsome performance, remains a bit of a conundrum, as captured in a beguiling late-in-the-play monologue from D'Amico (Zach Bloomfield), a guard who loses his job for doing too many favors for the killer. Marmions Trevon Roots wins battle with Burlington Centrals Drew Scharnowski for sectional title. It's a tight, well-paced and thoughtful staging . Inside Rikers Island, a terrified Angel is befriended by a charismatic serial killer named Lucius Jenkins. In fact, that symmetry is present in almost every character. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train Theatre Review. Jeff. It explores the space between what can be done and what should be done. Even if Guirgis' play doesn't always add up, the individual pieces are highly watchable. But his drive and dish make it possible. In 2018, Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train was ranked by The New York Times writers as the 14th best American play of . Early on in the play, Valdez has a monologue-which may appear to be his only redeeming moment in the play. The Kean Theatre Conservatory will open its 2016-2017 season this week with Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train by Pulitzer Prize winner Stephen Adly Guirgis (October 14 - 22, Zella Fry Theatre). Reverend Kim, a Lexus-driving cult leader who's sucked in Angel's childhood friend, Joey. 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. Hives Not Going Away With Prednisone, It then returned to New York City as writer Stephen Adly Guirgis began his residency at Signature Theatre Company. . Above, over 40 white spot lights illuminate this catwalk. The monologue of Paravicini from The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie (comedy / murder mystery) Shakespeare Monologue (Performance Video) . A lot of what we hear from the lawyer is in the form of direct . Its a complex and feral feat of acting, one that would feel at home at Long Wharf or Yale Rep or even at one of the best New York theaters. Aint no disease a addiction for me, its free will.. 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. Riverside Jacksonville News, Lucius Jenkins. The play's format, which really focuses on a series of monologues and duologues - offers a complete focus on the individuals . Review | Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train | Young Vic | 5 Stars | Kate Hewitt's production of Stephen Adly Guirgis' 'Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train' is bold and. Jesus Hopped the A Train. 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. Lucius has found God and been born again, and now, Angel's life and the course of his trial will be changed forever. His play Between Riverside and Crazy won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Lucius Jenkins is a . Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train is at the Young Vic until . 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, . . RECOMMENDED Winner of the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Stephen Adly Guirgis got his break in 2000 with "Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train," a play that in 2016 feels distressingly timeless. "Our Father, who art in . An icon used to represent a menu that can be toggled by interacting with this icon. Beautifully acted, these scenes are expertly written by Guirgis whose dialogue is both frank, darkly comical and naturalistic while still playing host to some fascinating theological debates. The performance by Williams was understated but effective and led to one of the most compelling scenes, where D'Amico is describing Lucius' execution. Running time: 2 hours and 20 minutes with one 20-minute interval. very much confined are fully opened out. Presented by Ron Kastner, Roy Gabay, and John Gould Rubin at the East 13th Street Theater, 136 E. 13 St., NYC, Nov. 29-Dec. 31. Yet, "Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train" may be trickier to perform, with its passions verging on melodrama and its frequent alternating monologues sometimes telling rather than showing. or convincing themselves. AE is fully committed to diversity, inclusion and equal employment opportunity. [2][3] The play was directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman. While the sermonic Lucius speaks of redemption before God, of renouncing darkness and embracing salvation, the early interactions between client and lawyer feel underweight in comparison. There is even something endearing about the crime that put him in prison: He shot a cult leader in the butt while trying to rescue a friend. church/ cult leader in his water buffalo-sized ass in an attempt to rescue his New York, NY, Ages 12-17: Camp Broadway Ensemble @ Carnegie Hall one hour of sunlight a day and he has all of the, Adly Guirgis raises questions Lucius, despite Taylor's fearsome performance, remains a bit of a conundrum, as captured in a beguiling late-in-the-play monologue from D'Amico (Zach Bloomfield), a guard who loses his job for . Its an aesthetic which is extremely But mostly there The production team includes Ashley Sweet (stage management), David Sepulveda (set design), Jamie Burnett (lightening design), Tommy Rosati (sound design), Carol Koumbaros (costume design), Emiley Charley (ASM/Propmaster). He has rightly focused instead on shaping the cast into a superlative ensemble despite a series of setbacks: Both Mr. Carvajal and Mr. Gathegi, who are excellent, were late replacements. It seems simple on the surface, but between these two strong actors, Guirgis stellar script and Dexter J. Singletons finely-tuned direction, it makes for electric theater. Dualities galore is the name of the game in Jesus Hopped The 'A' Train! Mary Jane Hanrahan - (late 20s/early 30s/White) She is Angels jaded and tired state appointed attorney. These are the dichotomies that Stephen Adly Guirgis's Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train puts up against each other, whilst exploring the injustices and complexities of the American justice system. (He tells his court-appointed lawyer that he merely aimed at Kims water-buffalo-sized posterior.) Jesus Hopped the "A" Train by Kerry Reid March 14, 2002 August 19, . 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. It is as vital now as it was at the turn of the millennium. He is the author of the award winning book of poetry "Hip Hop Is Dead - Long Live Hip Hop: The Birth, Death And Resurrection Of Hip Hop Activism" (2017) and is the inaugural Poet Laureate of Alachua County, Florida (2020 - 2022). Their scenes together alternate with ones in which Angels lawyer, Mary Jane Hanrahan, must break through his perverse resistance in order to prepare him for court. So where is God where is good in the criminal justice system? Pirie has a resume of fine acting longer than Lucius' rap sheet, and it shows. Lucius to dislike, although this is after weve warmed to him. Angel Cruz. Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. More than most Zoom-style productions, this one unifies separately filmed characters through the actors expert timing and via the common scenic background of poster-stylized prison and protest. Then one day they get talking. Truth versus lies. Research Playwrights, Librettists, Composers and Lyricists. Still, they're full of rhetorical fireworks. What Does Cameron Call His Style Of Rhythm? He brings Lucius Oreo cookies and cigarettes; his wife baked Lucius a shepherd's pie; D'Amico and Lucius share a buddylike badinage. Nah, people doan wanna hear bout none a that! . Jesus Hopped the A Train screens only on Friday, Sept. 25 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 26 at 7:30 p.m. Jesus' Blood Found 23 Chromosomes, Jesus Hopped the "a " Train( main work) . We are committed to principles of ethical and diverse representation in our casting. 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. A moment where things come into complete focus is a late monologue by a prison guard whose soft spot for Lucius cost him his job: with perfectly calibrated delivery, Gregory Prest delivers a . Perhaps the most stirring monologue of the play comes from . He has a great, effective monologue at the end about the death of Lucius that is sublime. Equity is committed to diversity and encourages all its employers to engage in a policy of equal employment opportunity designed to promote a positive model of inclusion. The burdens of the outside world are crushing, and in the little time these two share outdoors in their separate cages shows the strain. clean in its execution, and one which gives the illusion (conversely) of space, Angel holds out that he was justified and his lawyer's sure that a hearts-and-minds appeal will get him off at trial. 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. Jesus Hopped the A Train - Play. If you dont have access to a reader, please present a monologue in the style of the show. JESUS HOPPED THE A TRAIN. Was it my free will to be an undiagnosed manic-depressive paranoid schizophrenic?! Its the reason I keep coming back to Collective Consciousness. 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. The kind that only happens when the right actor connects with the right role at the right time. friend. When "Jesus Hopped The A Train" begins, you think it's 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. 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. Apply for Rights. Part investigation of our broken criminal justice system, part examination of the corruptive influence of Judeo-Christian morality, "Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train" is a promising 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. Angel Cruz John Ortiz Valdez David Zayas Mary Jane Hanrahan Elizabeth Canavan D'Amico Salvatore Inzerillo Lucius Jenkins Ron Cephas Jones 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, John Ortiz . And "fire-breathing[a] probing, intense portrait of . Seeking 2 Actor Team for Spring . , albeit in separate chain-link cages. . 4. . New York, NY, Accessibility Statement Terms Privacy |StageAgent 2020. Inside Rikers Island, a terrified Angel is befriended by a charismatic serial killer named Lucius Jenkins. Angel Cruz is a young Puerto Rican man incarcerated for shooting a cult leader after said person "stole" his best friend. THE HALF-GOD OF RAINFALL at New York Theatre Workshop, THE WALLS HAVE EARS at The Roxy Theatre Group, Gulfshore Playhouse 2023-24 Season at Gulfshore Playhouse, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey 2023 Season at Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, WESTPORT COUNTRY PLAYHOUSE 2023 SEASON at Westport Country Playhouse. Call 614-725-4042 or visitshortnorthstage.org. the shock of the charismatic Lucius' descriptions of his own murders, and finally, the 'A' train itself. Their monologues are all interesting, at least, but Guirgis was mainly interested in having Angel and Lucius debate. There in the next cage is Lucius Jenkins, a serial murderer and self-described paranoid schizophrenic trying to avoid extradition to Florida and probable execution there. HB Studio. Those arguments are eternal, as the frequent biblical references suggest. October 23, 2017. New York, NY, Accessibility Statement Terms Privacy |StageAgent 2020. 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 . 1 Benet in a sectional final. We hear a story of how her Jesus Hopped The 'A' Train is a play written by Stephen Adly Guirgis. 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 . J esus Hopped the 'A' Train occurs almost entirely within the one-hour-per-day periods when two Rikers Island prisonersAngel Cruz (Anthony Lam) and Lucius Jenkins (Bobby Bermea)get to . Gender: Male. "[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. Performances: Wednesday-Saturday 8:00 pm; Please note that Actors Express has committed to five-day work weeks. Re-read the monologue. Angel Cruz is a 30-year-old bicycle messenger awaiting trial for the death of the leader of a religious cult. In the Signature Theater revival of Stephen Adly Guirgis' "Jesus Hopped the A Train . The play was performed during the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland in August 2001. 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.. 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. Angel Cruz is a young Puerto Rican man incarcerated for shooting a cult leader after said person "stole" his best friend. 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. A sociopathic serial killer awaiting extradition to Florida, Lucius pauses from his workouts only to chain smoke and to "save" Angel. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train does not offer a clear verdict, even while it implicitly criticises the judicial and penal systems of America. He is a former co-artistic director of Labyrinth Theater Company. An inmate at Rikers (ANGEL) struggles with his new circumstances as he tries to convince his fellow inmate (LUCIUS) to speak to him. After that line, the play instantly becomes an obscenity oratorio in which vicious, muscular dialogue, appropriate to its setting, turns into gorgeous music. In some productions of Stephen Aldy Guirgis play, that might be the case, but at Collective Consciousness Theatre the shows gravitational pull changes the second Terrence Riggins walks on stage. 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. Equitys contracts prohibit discrimination. Please prepare one of the sides available at https://actors-express.com/get-involved/ . Jesus Hopped The A Trainquestions the legal and penal systems in the US and offers a stark reflection on how the law struggles to deal with the complexities of the human . Lucius; CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College THE 100. the shock of the charismatic Lucius' descriptions of his own murders, and finally, the 'A' train itself. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train reveals a young playwright's awkwardness with its overwritten passages and reliance on expository monologues.

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