Angel's desperate desire for assurance and forgiveness make him, in a weird way, immediately lovable. Not Exactly Billington: writing about theatre since 2012. 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) "[15] Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter reviewed a 2017 revival favorably, praising the "incisive characterizations and riveting dialogue". Kim's described affect on Joey, the friend Angel fought so hard to free from a cultish existence built by a false prophet. Jeff. Short North Stage will stream Jesus Hopped the A Train through June 27.Tickets cost $15. JESUS HOPPED THE A TRAIN. Was it my free will to turn ta drugs and alcohol as a result a that sh*t? Review of Jesus Hopped the A Train, Collective Consciousness Theatre . Lucius Jenkins, a monologue from Jesus Hopped the A-Train by Stephen Adly Gurgius. 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. Four glass 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 countless press ups, squats and on the spot sprints all the while delivering his speech. 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 . Jesus Hopped the A Train. But youd be wrong. At the opening of the play, he is in his second night of incarceration, awaiting trial for shooting the leader of that cult in the "ass." He is on his knees, alone and terrified, trying to say a prayer he no . Dualities galore is the name of the game in Jesus Hopped The 'A' Train! But when the Reverend dies in hospital, Angel lands in solitary confinement next to Lucius, a card-carrying Christian serial-killer. 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. 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. Stuart. (Scott Dray). But it also displays incendiary passion and insight into its. Join StageAgent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. 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. Add into this world Lucius Jenkins, an incarcerated serial killer with a messianic personality, and two prison guards, Valdez and D'Amico, who have radically different ways of enforcing and breaking the laws of which they are functionaries, and JESUS HOPPED THE 'A' TRAIN unfolds as both riotously funny, and as a searingly dramatic rumination . It then returned to New York City as writer Stephen Adly Guirgis began his residency at Signature Theatre Company. Playing Lucius Jenkins, a fellow inmate convicted of murdering eight people, Riggins delivers the kind of . Equitys contracts prohibit discrimination. benchmade adamas exclusive; disney plus march 2022 releases; After that line, the play instantly becomes an obscenity oratorio in which vicious, muscular dialogue, appropriate to its setting, turns into gorgeous music. 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 . I particularly liked the way you could see reflections in the He is a former co-artistic director of Labyrinth Theater Company. meters wide with a concrete floor, runs from one end of the auditorium to the His lawyer Hanrahan Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train plays through October 8, 2017, at 1st Stage - 1524 Spring Hill Road, in Tysons, VA. For tickets, call the box office at (703) 854-1856, or purchase them online. Monologues for Women; Comedic; . society, are remarkabl. Guirgis has a gift for mixing the humorous and the horrific, but it doesn't always land in the writing or the production here. 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. Still, they're full of rhetorical fireworks. His poetry has appeared in various literary publications in the United States and abroad. Running time: 2 hours and 20 minutes with one 20-minute interval. Lucius Jenkins is a . The new guard Valdez (Jason Hall) is cruel and curt. Reverend Kim, a Lexus-driving cult leader who's sucked in Angel's childhood friend, Joey. Other Characters From Jesus Hopped the A Train. Collective Consciousness Theatre's "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 . 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. on the Internet. It's a tight, well-paced and thoughtful staging . All people wanna do is cry for the victims! By Jesse Green. Lucius. Gain full access to show guides, character breakdowns, auditions, monologues and more! father stabbed someone at a dance when she was younger, but, In Rikers, Angel meets Lucius rikers island prison, new york, present day, Ages 12-17: Camp Broadway Ensemble @ Carnegie Hall. Monologues are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train is a brilliant, visceral examination of morality and justice, questioning the difference between true faith and self-serving religion. 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. Sean Carvajal stars in Stephen Adly Guirgis's Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train, directed by Mark Brokaw, at Signature Theatre. But in the next cell to Angel is an articulate serial killer called Lucius who has found God and who tries . When the psychopath is an acute thinker about responsibility and the atheist a tantrum-prone man-child hoping to avoid it, we have trouble deciding how to invest our emotions. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train reveals a young playwright's awkwardness with its overwritten passages and reliance on expository monologues. If you dont have access to a reader, please present a monologue in the style of the show. Im juss a Black Plague! 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. JESUS HOPPED THE A TRAIN - Equity video submissions Actor's Express Theatre Company | Atlanta, GA, Associate Artistic Director Amanda Washington. Jesus Hopped the A Train. David Zayas and Ron Cephas Jones in Jesus Hopped the A Train. Sign up today to unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. Stephen Adly Guirgis' Jesus Hopped The 'A' Train is an explosive, verbose play set in the maximum security wing of the infamous Rikers' Island prison in New York. Angel Cruz, played by Richard Nguyen Sloniker is a Puerto Rican awaiting trial for justifiable attempted murder. On his first night at Rikers Island, a terrified inmate named Angel Cruz tries to reconstruct the Lord's Prayer from his broken memories. It allows Lucius' evangelism to soar and Hanrahan's monologues to gain an air of a courtroom. Stephen Adly Guirgis' Jesus Hopped The 'A' Train is an explosive, verbose play set in the maximum security wing of the infamous Rikers' Island prison in New York. George Jetson Birthday, Stephen Adly Guirgis. isolation yards in Rikers Island Prison. 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. Directed by Kevin Mack. "the Black Plague," works out furiously in the cage next to Angel. one hour of sunlight a day and he has all of the, Adly Guirgis raises questions His play Between Riverside and Crazy won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. 79 pages ; 20 cm "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. A monologue from the play Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train by Francesco Di MaioShot and Directed by Hitop Films. Opened Oct. 23, 2017. It explores the space between what can be done and what should be done. This slight flaw in the writing is exacerbated by a few awkward directorial choices, including a Law & Order-like chung-chung sound effect between scenes. When the cult leader dies during surgery, Angel suddenly finds himself facing murder charges. Synopsis. Set in Rikers Island, the notorious New York City jail, Guirgis' play traces the parallel fates of two inmates Lucius (D'Wayne Taylor), a serial killer known as "the Black Plague," and Angel (Johnathan Nieves), a young Puerto Rican. Short North Stages streaming production, which continues through June 27, is well-acted and tightly staged. or convincing themselves. 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. Inside Rikers Island, a terrified Angel is befriended by a charismatic serial killer named Lucius Jenkins. These scenes are separated by blackouts and a . What Does Cameron Call His Style Of Rhythm? The cast of "Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train" by Eclipse Theatre. Toggle navigation . 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. But the audience also hears stories of childhood friendships and complicated . The character, usually played by a white or Latino actor, is now African-American and has similar features shaved head, facial hair, even the booming voice to the convict hes guarding. Angel holds out that he was justified and his lawyer's sure that a hearts-and-minds appeal will get him off at trial. Pirie has a resume of fine acting longer than Lucius' rap sheet, and it shows. . Stephen Adly Guirgis' Jesus Hopped The 'A' Train is an explosive, verbose play set in the maximum security wing of the infamous Rikers' Island prison in New York. Jesus Hopped the A Train Barbara and Scott Siegel New York City December 26, 2000 John Ortiz is Angel Cruz in Jesus Hopped The A Train (Photo: Jamie Mullians) Stephen Adly Guirgis, whose In Arabia,. Given those two scenes, you might assume this will be just another legal procedural about a hoodlum caught up in the prison-industrial complex. 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. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train does not offer a clear verdict, even while it implicitly criticises the judicial and penal systems of America. HB Studio. More . Lucius has found God and been born again, and now, Angel's life and the course of his trial will be changed forever. 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). Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train is playing through November 12 . No wonder its so profane. In fact, that symmetry is present in almost every character. 0. A long traverse stage, no more than two It opened on the Pershing Square Signature Center's Irene Diamond Stage on October 23, 2017, and ran until November 26th, 2017. Part Size . . 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 . There are a finite number of Shakespeare monologues, so the most accessible roles for actors in their 20's tend to be overdone. The kind that only happens when the right actor connects with the right role at the right time. 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 . The two convicts talk about God and redemption, free-will, racism, addiction and the meaning of freedom. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train revels in these complexities. God Is The Giver, And Sustainer Of Life Verse, His play Between Riverside and Crazy won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. 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 . This leads you to expect Jerry Orbach, or a neat denouement that Mr. Guirgis is not about to provide. Soulpepper's 'Jesus Hopped the A Train' does just that. 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. JESUS HOPPED THE A TRAIN Auditions Actor's Express Theatre Company in Submission 11/23. 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. New York, NY, Ages 12-17: Camp Broadway Ensemble @ Carnegie Hall 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. by Stephen Adly Guirgis. He has a great, effective monologue at the end about the death of Lucius that is sublime. Howie. Signature Theater; 294 seats; $65 top. Research Playwrights, Librettists, Composers and Lyricists. Jesus Hopped first opened off-Broadway in November of 2000. This is an invite-only performance limited to the local area. But his drive and dish make it possible. Late in Jesus Hopped the "A" Train, . Jesus Hopped The "A" Train. "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 . Lucius has done terrible things but now he has found God. Please prepare one of the sides available at https://actors-express.com/get-involved/ . Angel Cruz - (20s /Latino) A young man Incarcerated at Rikers Island Prison. These near-monologues are often gorgeous, but they can also be weirdly self-negating; in 'A' Train, they don't even always make sense. doors slide back and forth to create the different places, most notably the separated Angel Cruz, a poor Puerto Rican, isn't . Oct. 23, 2017. Lucius is also a serial killer, a self-described paranoid schizophrenic who employs his charms on . Packed densely into a bullet-fast script, a barrage of . Doubt. Renner criticized the characters of Hanraham and Valdez as heavy-handed, and also considered the play to contain "awkward exposition. 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 . 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 . Search the history of over 797 billion New York, NY, Accessibility Statement Terms Privacy |StageAgent 2020. on March 2, 2022, There are no reviews yet. Elysium Theatre deserve much credit for bringing Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train to Manchester for the first time. 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 . Mark Brokaw directs a cast made up of Edi Gathegi, Sean Carvajal, Ricardo Chavira, Erick Betancourt, and Stephanie DiMaggio. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train is a graphic and disturbing deep dive into prison life and faith. Qty: Full Length, Drama 4 men, 1 woman Total Cast: 5, Flexible Set ISBN-13: 978--8222-1799-2. A sociopathic serial killer awaiting extradition to Florida, Lucius pauses from his workouts only to chain smoke and to "save" Angel. 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 . -+ Ravi Ghosh . Still, they're full of rhetorical fireworks. It starred Edi Gathegi, Sean Carvajal, Ricardo Chavira, Stephanie DiMaggio, and Erick Betancourt. Lucius and Angel act as spiritual foils. T.Schreiber. 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 . Good versus evil. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train Paper Elizabeth Taylor Class: Theatre 100-162W Professor: Christopher . Angel Cruz. Father Flynn. 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. Story. 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. 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. He has a great, effective monologue at the end about the death of Lucius that is sublime. His first five plays were directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman, and subsequently received critically acclaimed productions in New York and London. church/ cult leader in his water buffalo-sized ass in an attempt to rescue his 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. 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. 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. other. The opening joke is not, therefore, cheap. Are we really laughing with Angel or at him? But me? Randall Sr. captivates as Lucius "Black Plague" Jenkins, a serial killer on death row who has found God and is trying to lead Angel to Him . Apply for Rights. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train. Lucius (Carl Lumbly), an articulate serial killer who has found God, is Angel's next door cellmate. Lucius Jenkins. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train. He is a former co-artistic director of Labyrinth Theater Company. But the guy dies, and the Angel is in solitary . Lucius is a serial . New York, NY, Accessibility Statement Terms Privacy |StageAgent 2020. Terell W.J. Read 26 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Jesus Hopped The 'A' Train is a play written by Stephen Adly Guirgis . 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. It allows Lucius evangelism to soar New York, NY, Linda Ray "Our Father, who art in Heaven, Howard be thy name . Although he takes responsibility for his actions, he still fears execution. Jesus Hopped the A Train is a . That Lucius (Edi Gathegi) is generally sunny and witty despite having killed eight people plays with our loyalties. 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. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train is skillfully structured so that the audience's sympathies see-saw back and forth between the silver-tongued Lucius and a seemingly sadistic guard named Valdez (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. Dogg as sound designer. "Angel Cruz is a thirty-year-old bike messenger from NYC who has lost his best friend to a religious cult. Then one day they get talking. Angel Cruz is a 30-year-old bicycle messenger awaiting trial for the death of the leader of a religious cult. In fact . The critic wrote that there are "overwritten passages and reliance on expository monologues. The Vagina Monologues; Eve Ensler; 3 pages. 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. Angel Cruz, a poor Puerto Rican, isn't . The other actors do fine with their characters, who are written to mostly speak through direct-address. glass, to create the sense that characters might be talking to, arguing with, 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, Jenkins, a born again Christian and cold blooded killer. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train reveals a young playwright's awkwardness with its overwritten passages and reliance on expository monologues. The monologue from which the play takes its name was a low point in an otherwise thrillingly paced drama. As such, Equity encourages performers of all ethnicities, gender identities, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities, to submit. Hes a violent, racist jerk and not much else, although casting Hall in the role does give it some interesting subtext. 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. What does it mean? who are written to mostly speak through direct-address. Angel Cruz is a young Puerto Rican man incarcerated for shooting a cult leader after said person "stole" his best friend. Their monologues are all interesting, at least, but Guirgis was mainly interested in having Angel and Lucius debate. More . Lucius is awaiting extradition to Florida to take responsibility for the trail of bodies he left behind. for her but theres also a personal connection. 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. Jesus Hopped the A Train book. It is as vital now as it was at the turn of the millennium. 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. . 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. . about justice and redemption, whats right and wrong, and the power of belief. 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 . 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. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. June 22, 2022; a la carte wedding flowers chicago; used oven pride without gloves; jesus hopped the a train lucius monologue