The Studio hasn't been a diverse place historically, but these are really impressive actors. Judas is also one of the most diverse projects to emerge from the Studio in recent years, featuring not only a multicultural cast but adding some Spanish dialogue as well for Saint Peter (Jose Ignacio Gomez) and Matthias of Galilee (Victor Almanzar). "But I thought, 'This is such a wonderful opportunity to do a great big play that nobody else can do, because if there's one thing we have at the Studio it's all these actors!'" "In the original they were all doubling ," she notes. Ultimately the biggest questions are left for the audience's consideration: What is faith? What is friendship? What do you believe?Įstelle loves how Guirgis' writing allows every character, even those who appear only briefly, to create impactful moments onstage.
While colorful witnesses like Mother Teresa (Bob Adrian), Sigmund Freud (Timothy Doyle), and Satan (Javier Molina) take the stand, Biblical figures pop up in standalone scenes to share their memories of Jesus. In Purgatory, fiery defense attorney Fabiana Aziza Cunningham (Suzanne DiDonna) faces off against sycophantic prosecutor Yusef El-Fayoumy (Dan Grimaldi) to appeal her client's eternal damnation. Guirgis' provocative play centers on the trial of a now-comatose Judas Iscariot (Gabriel Furman). Thanks to the actors' intense vivacity (which includes that air of conflict) and Parsons' electrifying direction, the show absolutely flies. But unlike the program's previous minimalist productions - Leland Gantt's solo show Rhapsody in Black and the three-character Mud by Maria Irene Fornés - Judas is a grand spectacle, featuring a cast of twenty-seven and a nearly three-hour running time. Such things aren't uncommon at the Actors Studio, where Judas is the third play in Parsons' "Theater and Social Justice" series, which examines works that address such large cultural themes as race, poverty, and religion. There has been a crackling element of menace throughout the rehearsals for Estelle Parsons' production of Stephen Adly Guirgis' The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, to the point that the Oscar winner/theatre icon tells me, "We stopped when it was clear that it was going to result in violence." It's only natural that the battle for a man's soul feels dangerous, especially when that man betrayed Jesus. Eternally Thrilling: Estelle Parsons Directs The Last Days of Judas Iscariot at the Actors Studio
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