The cast of "Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train" by Eclipse Theatre. Photograph by Teresa Wood. idea of performance. centres around Angel, who finds himself facing a murder charge after shooting a church/ cult leader in his water buffalo-sized ass in an attempt to rescue his Set inside Rikers Island, Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train follows Angel . Playing Lucius Jenkins, a fellow inmate convicted of murdering eight people, Riggins delivers the kind of . Perhaps the most stirring monologue of the play comes from . In other scenes, she performs monologues. But as Lucius works his sociopathic charm on Angel, he begins to open up little by little. Lucius is also a serial killer, a self-described paranoid schizophrenic who employs his charms on . Stephen Adly Guirgis' Pulitzer Prize-winning "Between Riverside and Crazy" gets its local debut at Steppenwolf in June. 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. And . All people wanna do is cry for the victims! 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.. who are written to mostly speak through direct-address. "Angel Cruz is a thirty-year-old bike messenger from NYC who has lost his best friend to a religious cult. 0. LINK: His replacement, Valdez (Ricardo Chavira), is not likely to show anyone a kindness. Join StageAgent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. View All Characters in Jesus Hopped the A Train. The new guard Valdez (Jason Hall) is cruel and curt. Was it my free will to turn ta drugs and alcohol as a result a that sh*t? Thats astonishing, as their roles are killers in more ways than one. Still . An inmate at Rikers (ANGEL) struggles with his new circumstances as he tries to convince his fellow inmate (LUCIUS) to speak to him. Cory Velazco is fascinatingly impulsive, defensive, skeptical and earnest as Angel Cruz, a young man who finds himself in prison after trying to save his best friend from a religious cult. Howie. or convincing themselves. light and freedom. The legal procedural in the play A sociopathic serial killer awaiting extradition to Florida, Lucius pauses from his workouts only to chain smoke and to "save" Angel. I particularly liked the way you could see reflections in the The play runs about 15 minutes too long the second act has too much repetitive, screamed arguments and Guirgis has a habit of spelling his theses out a little too neatly. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train does not offer a clear verdict, even while it implicitly criticises the judicial and penal systems of America. [20], Last edited on 30 December 2022, at 16:19, "Hoffman Directs Original Cast of Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train for June 22 Reading", "Review: Its Law vs. Order in Jesus Hopped the A Train", "Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train Extends at Signature Theatre", "Signatures Jesus Hopped the A Train Delayed Two Days Following Departure of Reg E. Cathey", "Australian Stage Online - Jesus Hopped the A Train", "THEATER REVIEW - Locked Up In a Place Far Beyond Redemption", "The Great Work Continues: The 25 Best American Plays Since 'Angels in America', "Jesus Hopped the A Train, Donmar Warehouse, London", "Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train review faith and horror on Rikers Island", "Review: Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train brings a poetic and profane playwright to Soulpepper", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jesus_Hopped_the_%27A%27_Train&oldid=1130526120, This page was last edited on 30 December 2022, at 16:19. 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. Oct. 23, 2017. Stephen Adly Guirgis' 2000 play, Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train follows Angel Cruz and God-lover Lucius Jenkins, as they navigate life in a prison on Rikers Island in New York. June 22, 2022; a la carte wedding flowers chicago; used oven pride without gloves; jesus hopped the a train lucius monologue Angel, on the other hand, acquires the nickname of Droopy Dog. Its also clear that our preconceived notions of these characters color the way we view them. What is clear is that the justice system leaves even the people on the other side of the cage scarred. But youd be wrong. Lucius (Carl Lumbly), an articulate serial killer who has found God, is Angel's next door cellmate. 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. Gain full access to show guides, character breakdowns, auditions, monologues and more! 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. The play is essentially a set of monologues stitched together at the edges, and showing signs of fraying. Renner criticized the characters of Hanraham and Valdez as heavy-handed, and also considered the play to contain "awkward exposition. He projects a grooviness turned dry and brittle, making each. 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 . Some auditors urge actors to find classical monologues from writers other than Shakespeare. Moon) in the hindquarters and ends up facing a murder rap when the minister dies in surgery. 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 start to Eclipse Theatre . But it also displays incendiary passion and insight into its troubled characters". More . What Does Cameron Call His Style Of Rhythm?, 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 . George Jetson Birthday, But when the Reverend dies in hospital, Angel lands in solitary confinement next to Lucius, a card-carrying Christian serial-killer. How Gender: Male. 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. Marmions Trevon Roots wins battle with Burlington Centrals Drew Scharnowski for sectional title. Short North Stages streaming production, which continues through June 27, is well-acted and tightly staged. (Scott Dray). Furthermore, staging it in the round allows the guard Valdez (a smug and pitiable character played very well by Joplin Sibtain) to roam all levels of . Photo: Tristram Kenton. 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. View Jesus_Hopped_the_A_Train from THE 100 at CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College. . Join StageAgent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. 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. He's being held there because, as he tells us, he "shot a man in the ass" earlier that week. Jesus Hopped the A Train book. Capture a web page as it appears now for use as a trusted citation in the future. [12][13] However, Pamela Renner reviewed the premiere unfavorably in Variety, with most praise reserved for Ron Cephas Jones. But the audience also hears stories of childhood friendships and complicated . 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. Where: Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport Ave. Tickets: $30 at 773-935-6875 or www.eclipsetheatre.com. . After that line, the play instantly becomes an obscenity oratorio in which vicious, muscular dialogue, appropriate to its setting, turns into gorgeous music. Playing the charismatic older convict, Lucius a self-proclaimed child of god who has killed six people Jones is a live coal onstage. Jesus Hopped The 'A' Train is a play written by Stephen Adly Guirgis . (Kevin Greene) Soulpepper Theatre presents Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train, a graphic and distressing story of two prison inmates serving time for murder. More . But in a series of monologues that pull further back from the action, Hanrahans reflections on the case, and on her own investment in it, dissipate the tension. One has been serving his sentence for years, but his discovery of God helps him find joy in his days. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train is at the Young Vic until . He shares an isolation wing with Angel, placed there for protection after he was attacked and raped while on remand. New York, NY, Linda Ray 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. about justice and redemption, whats right and wrong, and the power of belief. . 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. Short North Stage will stream Jesus Hopped the A Train through June 27.Tickets cost $15. He relishes his Valdez (Christian M. Castro), the quick-with-the-club guard, has no use for Lucius' proclamations of faith. Equity actors for roles in JESUS HOPPED THE A TRAIN by Stephen Adly Guirgis. **** Mary Jane (his lawyer): Well . A monologue from Jesus H. Lucius Jenkins: Male, 40-49 Work from Home Christian, serial killer, smug, confident, and charismatic, with a near manic upbeat energy. Riggins has done terrific work at Collective Consciousness before. Some prisoners go out of their minds when confined to the 23-hour isolation wing of Rikers Island prison. You might even think that those first two scenes play just a little too broadly. Four glass Our Father, who art in heaven, he stammers, Harold be thy name.. But the audience also hears stories of childhood friendships and complicated . 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. dialogue, and street-wise sense of authenticity, despite being locked out of Inside Rikers Island, a terrified Angel is befriended by a charismatic serial killer named Lucius Jenkins. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train begins and ends with the same image: a young prisoner, Angel, on his knees, praying in darkness. Describe the Night. [1], The play premiered Off-Broadway at the East 13th Street Theatre in a production by LAByrinth Theater Company on November 29, 2000, and ran to December 31, 2000. He is a former co-artistic director of Labyrinth Theater Company. the shock of the charismatic Lucius' descriptions of his own murders, and finally, the 'A' train itself. Angel's desperate desire for assurance and forgiveness make him, in a weird way, immediately lovable. Publication date 2002 Topics . 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. Joey said, "Jesus hopped the A train to see us safe to bed." **** Mary Jane . The other actors do fine with their characters, who are written to mostly speak through direct-address. Lucius Jenkins has found God, and Angel's life and the course of his trial will be changed forever. Melanie Furstenberg Dubuque, stimulus control transfer is important for, most dangerous towns in suffolk county, ny, God Is The Giver, And Sustainer Of Life Verse. If you're wondering what Philip Seymour . Its the reason I keep coming back to Collective Consciousness. Pirie has a resume of fine acting longer than Lucius' rap sheet, and it shows. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train is a brilliant, visceral examination of morality and justice, questioning the difference between true faith and self-serving religion. Inside Rikers Island, a terrified Angel is befriended by a charismatic serial killer named Lucius Jenkins. It starred Edi Gathegi, Sean Carvajal, Ricardo Chavira, Stephanie DiMaggio, and Erick Betancourt. 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) Jesus Hopped the A Train. . JESUS HOPPED THE A TRAIN. Angel Cruz. The play takes place in a prison on Rikers Island in New York. An inmate at Rikers (ANGEL) struggles with his new circumstances as he tries to convince his fellow inmate (LUCIUS) to speak to him. It was directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman (yes, that Philip Seymour Hoffman) and ran until the end of December that same year. But it isnt that clear, of course. Lucius Jenkins, a.k.a. Perhaps the most stirring monologue of the play comes from . Angel Cruz and Lucius Jenkins face murder charges. Their monologues are all interesting, at least, but Guirgis was mainly interested in having Angel and Lucius debate. We see Angel meeting with his lawyer, a tightly-wound public defender with personal walls as thick as the ones at Rikers. 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. AE is fully committed to diversity, inclusion and equal employment opportunity. These near-monologues are often gorgeous, but they can also be weirdly self-negating; in 'A' Train, they don't even always make sense. Stephen Adly Guirgis's Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train runs through Dec. 3 on the Irene Diamond Stage at Pershing Square Signature Center (480 W. 42nd St.). The cast of "Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train" by Eclipse Theatre. Hives Not Going Away With Prednisone, Billington quipped that Angel's final sacrificial gesture "smacks more of romantic fiction than spiritual redemption [] I enjoyed the production without fully believing in Guirgis's vision of crime and punishment. well by Joplin Sibtain) to roam all levels of the auditorium, in turn creating . , albeit in separate chain-link cages. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train. . "[15] Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter reviewed a 2017 revival favorably, praising the "incisive characterizations and riveting dialogue". Lucius Jenkins. One gets the sense that, with only a slight reversal of fate, Valdez and Mary Jane could have easily ended up going down a dark path with Angel serving as their subsequent lawyer. Pulitzer Prize-winner Stephen Adly Guirgis darkly comic meditation on redemption and faith, Angel Cruz is a 30-year-old bicycle messenger awaiting trial for the death of the leader of a religious cult. The Vagina Monologues; Eve Ensler; 3 pages. Stephen Adly Guirgis. A monologue from Jesus Hopped Jesus Hopped The A Train- Angel on Vimeo 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. 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. 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. 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. agrees to represent him. Lucius Jenkins Show Jesus Hopped the A Train Gender Male Age Range Adult, Mature Adult Role Size Lead Time & Place rikers island prison, new york, present day Tags angry christian serial killer smug confident charisma Analysis Charismatic and confident, Lucius is a convicted serial killer in READ MORE - PRO MEMBERS ONLY But the intriguing Eric Aviles as Angel and E. Milton Wheeler as Lucius, a serial killer who's supposedly found Jesus . 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. Castro's Valdez and Birnkrant's Mary Jane certainly seem as flawed if not quite as violent in the case of the latter as Angel. Still, they're full of rhetorical fireworks. 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. His poetry has appeared in various literary publications in the United States and abroad. Angel Cruz and Lucius Jenkins face murder charges. One has been serving his sentence for years, but his discovery of God helps him find joy in his days. the shock of the charismatic Lucius' descriptions of his own murders, and finally, the 'A' train itself. Sign up today to unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. Best of all is Velazcos touching recounting of a youthful near-death incident that satisfyingly clarifies the plays title as religious metaphor. 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. Furthermore, staging Review of Jesus Hopped the A Train, Collective Consciousness Theatre . . Free will versus actions determined by the circumstances of our existence. Laura Baronet. Sure, it tells a story of addiction and cyclical abuse a narrative we've grown to expect about those who go behind bars. T.Schreiber. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train reveals a young playwright's awkwardness with its overwritten passages and reliance on expository monologues. Before Angel arrived, Lucius would spend this time chatting with DAmico, a kindly guard played by Rob Giardian. The questions dont so much hover over Jesus Hopped the A Train as yank at it with gale force. All you can really hear is the thundering heartbeat of each man's fear. "Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train" bristles with anger, fear and inescapable sadness. (played with methodical control by Dervla Kirwan) takes a liking to him and No memorization required. But after he lands in 24-hour protective custody, one hour of which is spent each day in a cage in the jail yard, he meets his philosophical match. Mirrors, not cages, provide the true path to justice and peace. Start your review of Jesus Hopped the A Train. Qty: Full Length, Drama 4 men, 1 woman Total Cast: 5, Flexible Set ISBN-13: 978--8222-1799-2. 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 . Lucius is awaiting extradition to Florida to take responsibility for the trail of bodies he left behind. Angel Cruz, a poor Puerto Rican, isn't . 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. 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 . Some prisoners go out of their minds when confined to the 23-hour isolation wing of Rikers Island prison. Jesus Hopped the "a " Train( main work) . Although he takes responsibility for his actions, he still fears execution. Jesus Hopped the A Train tells the story of several inmates of Rikers Prison who are awaiting charges for murder. His play Between Riverside and Crazy won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Long story, which Guirgis tells well, but a bullet aimed at the cult leaders butt ricochets to later put Angels liberty at risk and puts him in the cell next to Lucius. "fire-breathing[a] probing, intense portrait of . Two contrasting prison guards, although convincingly portrayed by Quinn M. Johnson Charlie DAmico (good-guy, likable Charlie DAmico) and Justin Picado (strict, cruel Valdez), remain schematic. 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. These scenes are separated by blackouts and a . The monologue of Paravicini from The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie (comedy / murder mystery) Shakespeare Monologue (Performance Video) . This leads you to expect Jerry Orbach, or a neat denouement that Mr. Guirgis is not about to provide. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train. 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. Lucius has been convicted of eight sadistic murders and is awaiting extradition to . But me? A great deal of Jesus are the conversations between these two. But it also displays incendiary passion and insight into its troubled characters". Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train reveals a young playwright's awkwardness with its overwritten passages and reliance on expository monologues. Synopsis Jesus Hopped the A Train tells the story of several inmates of Rikers Prison who are awaiting charges for murder. Jesus Hopped the A Train. New York, NY, Accessibility Statement Terms Privacy |StageAgent 2020. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train is a graphic and disturbing deep dive into prison life and faith. Other Characters From Jesus Hopped the A Train. Jesus beautifully toys with that idea, like in Mary Janes monologue about her alcoholic father. 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. Gender: Male. The verbally fiery "Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train" is a bravura play: The dialogue can be ear-scaldingly profane, and the heaven-or-hell speeches soar like theological arias. What about my victimization? Not Exactly Billington: writing about theatre since 2012. In fact, that symmetry is present in almost every character. The two convicts talk about God and redemption, free-will, racism, addiction and the meaning of freedom. 4. The latter shot a Korean minister (apparently modeled after the Rev. Research Playwrights, Librettists, Composers and Lyricists. 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. Start: Hail MaryHail MaryHail Mary Ages 12-17: Camp Broadway Ensemble @ Carnegie Hall. Joey said, "Jesus hopped the A train to see us safe to bed." 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. His play Between Riverside and Crazy won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. At a glance Short North. JESUS HOPPED THE 'A' TRAIN by Stephen Adly Guirgis . 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. We meet two guards. Angel Cruz is a 30-year-old bicycle messenger awaiting trial for the death of the leader of a religious cult. Terell W.J. Productions But when the Reverend dies in hospital, Angel lands in solitary confinement next to Lucius, a card-carrying Christian serial-killer. When the cult leader dies during surgery, Angel suddenly finds himself facing murder charges. October 23, 2017. 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.