Last Days of Judas Iscariot - Reviews and Pictures

Cases are backed up in the divine courtroom but the time is nigh for rendering a final verdict in the case of The Kingdom of Heaven v. Judas Iscariot.

This 2005 Stephen Guirgis play now showing at Stages Theater was first staged off-Broadway. The cast of 20+ is speckled with stars and they get to shine during the 2+ hours. It has a modern feel, and boldly cross-examines witnesses to the death of Jesus.

Defense is conducted by a capable, alluring, young Jewish Fabiana Aziza Cunningham (the capable, alluring Tiffany Toner). The judge (Wilson

Raiser) is prejudiced, misogynist from the American South in 1864, and the prosecution (Anthony Rutowicz) is a obsequious Arabic flatterer who warships Mother Theresa (Sara Masheyekh). Even in the perfect court you must deal with real people, it seems.

But the real show begins with the parade of witnesses. Anyone who has died in the interim, and Satan, may be summoned. The characters and actors are too many to list here, but my favorites were the portrayals of Caiaphas (Matt Grisat), Simon the Zealot (Jose Zazueta), and the sub-trial of Mother Theresa.

No one was left off the hook. Each person who took the stand had their morality laid bare for all to see. Their justifications ranged from venerable but shaky Caiaphas, Simon and the Apostles to the debased and impotent morality of a Sigmund Freud who explains that the suicidal Judas was insane and so no more culpable of killing Jesus than of giving someone else a cold, thereby reducing man’s moral efficacy to that of a droplet of snot.

In one sweeping trial “Last Days” reviews the stated and well documented morality of the last 2000 years, and comes up wanting. Soon after mentioning that ontology is concerned with relating the particular to the ideal they discuss the Americanization of the Heavenly Court. Did the ideal court change? Ask Parmenides, if that’s what you’re in to.

Soon after Jesus says, “I am all of you”, he asks Judas to trust him to be who he is and love him according to his nature. It was like talking to Christine O'Donnell.

With all it’s flaws the play does not fear to tread on old assumptions. The writer seems concerned not with religion, but with the morals and principals by which

FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Judas' betrays its dramatic roots

By ERIC MARCHESE - Jan. 14, 2011

The best courtroom dramas are exciting, compelling and intriguing, using the testimony of witnesses and each side's legal strategies to grip us from start to finish. How, then, do we

judge "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot," a sort of metaphysical courtroom drama in which the Bible's most infamous sinner is given a trial in Purgatory long after he's been consigned to Hell?

Stephen Adly Guirgis' 2006 play is a sprawling, inelegant serio-comedy that, if Stages Theatre's new production is any indication, tries too hard to be many things to many people – a lighthearted romp through history, religion, philosophy and psychiatry; a serious examination of such themes as fate versus free will; a look at how man's actions fit into the big picture.

While some great contemporary playwrights – notably Tony Kushner – are able to make this kind of heady mixture succeed, Guirgis falls well short. All that does is place even more pressure on director Kevin Slay, his cast of 18 and his production crew. They respond as best as can be expected, but the result is an overlong evening whose sudden shifts from wryly goofy to dead-serious come off not as skillful but as jarring.

"Last Days" unfolds in a small section of Purgatory referred to as "Hope" whose inhabitants' fates are determined

by litigation. Right off the bat, Guirgis tempts illogic, for Judas (Joseph Tostado) has long since been eternally damned, sitting off to one side of the stage in a catatonic state.

It takes more than a half-hour for Judas' trial to even begin as we meet the sassy, lippy, amusingly streetwise St. Monica (Tiffany Cole) and witness the pre-trial wranglings of prosecutor El-Fayoumy (Anthony Rutowicz), defense attorney Fabiana Cunningham (Tiffany Toner) and the Judge (Wilson Raiser), a Southerner who wears Lion King slippers and sucks on Tootsie Pops in court – all of which is exceedingly tiresome.

The trial, too, is tedious and slow going. It isn't until the appearance of four of Judas' fellow apostles, all of whom knew

him firsthand, that "Last Days" really begins to hit its stride. Even then, none of them are sworn in, each serving more or less as character witnesses, delivering testimony from far upstage.

In fact, the entire "trial" concept is pretty thin, as everyone from Satan to Mother Teresa is called forth to offer their assessment of Judas or act as expert witnesses in various fields (theology, psychiatry etc.). Judas, meanwhile, is never even present to bolster or rebut their statements or to defend himself.

Where does that leave us, the audience, with respect to Stages' production? As witnesses to a gallery of performances, some colorful and enjoyable, others that press us to question their very presence within the play. It isn't often you pity an actor for having stumbled into a role that serves only to try its audience's patience – but "Judas Iscariot" often betrays the nature of theatricality itself, inducing tedium and frustration while on the plus side serving up only the occasional belly laugh or moment of satisfaction.

Though many of the most memorable characters don't mesh well with one another or within the story's context, Slay gleans several notable individual performances. Toner's portrayal of lawyer Cunningham as a spunky, sexy New Yorker is matched by Rutowicz, who uses his tall, thin, angular frame, ponytail and gold chains to augment the exuberant, relentlessly cheerful personality of prosecutor "El Fajita" (the Judge's sarcastic name for him).

The consecutive testimonies of St. Peter, St. Matthew, St. Thomas and Simon the Zealot are a highlight, given distinctive traits and

credible personas by, respectively, Scott Keister, Jeff Martin, James Bean and José Zazueta. Though her role amounts to a walk-on, Sara Mashayekh's portrayal of Mary Magdalene (called "Mary Mags") is honest and real. Likewise, Daniel Panilla's brief turn as Jesus is in a direct, naturalistic style well suited to Christ's benevolent, compassionate nature.

Given the high degree of inconsistency, "Last Days" is ripe to be stolen by the actor best equipped to command our attention. Here, we're given two: Bob Tully, who lends Pontius Pilate a credibly earthy, streetwise demeanor and pointed anti-Semitism, and Mike Martin, whose sardonic Satan (called "Lou" for Lucifer) is played for laughs yet who is terrifyingly perceptive and impressively wily – and who nearly steals the show late in Act Two with a wonderfully written rant.

Considering he's the play's subject, it's a shame we don't see or hear more from Tostado. For his part, the actor's

saturnine, bitter take on Judas makes it clear that this infamous figure has no desire to be redeemed.

Overlength is both a decided flaw and a testament to Guirgis' self-indulgence. The play could easily lose between 20 and 45 minutes, tightening its slack pace without damaging any of the

Most plays that fail do so because they don’t say enough. A few fail because they try to say too much. You can place The Last Days of Judas Iscariot in the latter category.

It’s not that Stephen Adly Guirgis’ courtroom drama and philosophical meditation on the ultimate fate of history’s greatest betrayer completely fails. There are undeniably thought-provoking passages in his writing, and a handful of commanding performances in STAGEStheatre’s current production makes the nearly three-hour experience palatable.

But there is so much unnecessary silliness—from lion-slipper-wearing judges to broom-pushing angels—that the circus-like atmosphere continually undercuts truly big ideas. That renders Guirgis’ apparently sincere exploration of the need for individuals to participate in their own salvation nearly meaningless, a terrible thing for a play that works so hard to ask so many meaningful questions.

Tone is an enormous issue in this play, and the problems begin early. A man (Judas, who stays in this place throughout the play) dressed in rags and uncontrollably shaking sits downstage right as a woman (later revealed to be his mother) delivers a heartfelt monologue about the unbearable pain of a mother who must bury her child.

We then find ourselves in purgatory, in the bizarre courtroom of a judge (Wilson Raiser, a dead-ringer for Christopher Lloyd) who sips coffee out of a cup emblazoned with a Confederate flag and spits out Southern homilies. After a few false starts, a lawyer, Cunningham (Tiffany Toner), enters the courtroom with a writ signed by God to reopen the case of Judas Iscariot. Her main argument: How can a God of mercy and forgiveness consign any soul to the depths of hell? On the other side is El-Fayoumy (Anthony Rutowicz), a lawyer who, for whatever reason, believes that by betraying the Messiah, Judas has earned his fate of consignment to the one place in the universe where God doesn’t exist.

The bulk of the play centers on the testimony and interrogation of an impressive gallery of witnesses: four down-to-earth apostles; a hard-of-hearing Mother Teresa; a defiantly atheistic Sigmund Freud; the Jewish high priest, Caiaphas, who turned Christ over to the Romans; a thoroughly unapologetic Pontius Pilate; and, of course, the Prince of Darkness himself, Satan. People with limited knowledge of the Gospels will be hopelessly lost in the trajectory of Christ’s journey from the Last Supper to Calvary. Likewise, they might not detect the subtle shift in the play from that of Judas’ fate to the question of the importance of individuals playing a vital role in their own salvation. Even those familiar with the Bible will find it hard staying on Guirgis’ theological tracks due to his unnecessary introduction of elements and asides, from the Hegelian dialectic to Freud’s use of cocaine.

Director Kevin Slay is unable to rein in the caterwauling script, even adding to the chaos through clunky blocking and musical underscoring that either obscures sincere moments or comes off as cheesy (whether the script calls for Freud to enter to the tune of Eric Clapton’s “Cocaine”or Slay green-lighted it, it just doesn’t work). As should be expected in a play with 18 actors, performances range from stellar to mediocre at best. But the standout performances are very good: Mike Martin approaches Satan as many actors would, as a diabolically cunning supernatural force that demands respect from all quarters. But he finesses the role just enough that we’re never sure where Satan stands on any issue; this is an eminently human Prince of Darkness, likeable even, making the performance all the scarier. Bob Tully’s Pontius Pilate—a wise-cracking, anti-Semitic misogynist who tears into Cunningham with hair-raising savagery—is also riveting, and both Rutowicz and Toner in the roles of the attorneys more than stand their ground—at least until Satan eviscerates their respective characters in wickedly hostile form.

It’s not until the play’s final minutes that the two characters whom the play is truly about, Judas and Jesus, finally get their moment. And it’s a soberingly effective one. Daniel Penilla’s Jesus is a wonderful synthesis of supernatural grace and earthy presence, and Joseph Tostado’s Judas, who gets a chance to speak only after spending nearly two-and-a-half hours cowering in a corner, delivers a performance that is both fierce and heartbreaking. But after this unbelievably intense meeting of betrayer and betrayed, as Jesus pleads with Judas to step back into the light, things get weird again. Butch Honeywell (an effective Sean Coutu), a simple handyman and foreman of the jury, informs Judas of the verdict. He then tells Judas they are each a betrayer. But instead of betraying the Messiah, Butch betrayed his wife.

It’s a big “What the fuck?” moment. The incongruous stories of Butch and Judas just don’t mesh. It’s the final

example of Guirgis trying to make his theological and philosophical pill go down smoother. But all it does is make this play stick in one’s throat.

The play was excellent; well acted, sad, funny, and thought provoking. It's not for the faint of heart - plenty of swearing, and long accepted religious assumptions are poked at, but the questions are valid, and God gave us brains for a reason.

If you like the movie "Dogma", I suspect you'll enjoy this. :)

I have wanted to see this play for some time, especially having heard great reviews from people who saw it. I was not disappointed. Well written and thought provoking. Had me laughing, shaking my head, and at times, deeply moved.

Stages is a very intimate theatre... friendly, neighborhood feeling... and not a bad seat in the house!

Consider dropping a donation in the lobby box to support future talents and productions. Stages is non-profit and anything helps...

including returning your program after the evening for recycling. They only have coffee and a few munchies available... but understand that they can't afford to purchase more and risk that people won't buy. It's a wonderful venue - enjoy and give back!!

This was my first play at this venue and it was such a unique experience to be so up close as if they were auditioning for you. Play was very interesting and had my attention for the whole time. Although I don't consider myself as being very religious the extreme cursing did give me the creeps and really was it necessary? I'm not sure if the director is trying to cater to a certain young crowd that has to have profanity in everything they see or what. But it was definetely thought provoking and a unique experience so I would recommend it if you need some controversy or thought provoking excitement in your life or for an evening. Great acting guys!!

STAGES is becoming my favorite theater! I never know what to expect from them, but every show continues to impress.

The Last Days of Judas is both hilariously funny and deeply moving. The cast is first rate (special cheers to Pilate, Satan, and the prosecutor), the set and lights were beautiful.

One small quibble, and this could just be an opening night thing. PLEASE TURN THE MUSIC DOWN! I really liked the music choices and the use of music in the show, but the volume was set too high to hear the actors at times.

All in all, this show is really WELL worth the price of admission. Go and see it! Great job STAGES.

I had a friend who went to see this show opening weekend and she said it was great and that I needed to see it and boy was she right! I really liked it. It made me think and the ending really touched me....it is a must see show.

A brave production for an opener this season. Stages does a credible job in portraying Guirgis' screed on the need by the human race for religion [in this case Christianity] and the failure/default among believers to embrace its actual teachings. The 2005 edition of Guirgis' plays which amount to a nearly annual attempt to shock and rock us into consciousness on this theme comes alive on the Fullerton stage despite some unevenness that undoubtedly a few more performances will iron out. Be warned that this play [as do others

by this playwright] communicates at a fundamentally gritty level both literally and philosophically. And the Stages players take the writer's efforts to heart. A couple of nits though. The set is simultaneously grandiose [after all it's a trial in purgatory] and makeshift. The music though subtle and well chosen, is sometimes lost in the background as the large cast moves around between scenes. All the players do well in defining their characters especially St. Monica [Tiffany Cole], Satan [Mike Martin] and Pilate [Bob Tully] and the legal triumvirate consisting of Cunningham the defense, El-Fayoumy the prosecution and the somewhat arbitrary Judge. [Tiffany Toner, Anthony Rutowicz and Daniel Panilla resp]. These roles happen also to be powerful personalities in the tale so that some of the other roles projected weakly by comparison. Difficult to level this out dramatically, but something is lost in the message, Mr. Slay, when only some characters have a memorable dramatic voice/impact. Overall the play succeeds in playing humor against the

balance between faith and anxiety we all maintain [or fail to] in the presence of uncertainty. Satire is difficult, and this troupe has a grip on it, even as we walk out of the theatre wondering if it was really satire that we experienced.

As a person that has not seen a play in years and never write reveiws..I will say, I enjoyed this play so much and even more than that as they hardly charged any money for this type of entertainment. I thought hard and even learned about the topic at hand. There were dramatic sections and comedic parts that interlaced my attention 100% and the acting/direction/fast pace was superb. The hard working actors I thought are true professionals and I feel they must have practiced and memorized lines and theatrics in

which you walked away saying..THAT WAS Pretty COOL. IMO, It would be very hard to act the part to boot of any theatrical performance period of this topic yet they pulled it off. If the stage were 1000 people, they took their roles seriously as I even was taught in H.S. drama class to raise that voice and expression to the audience. I arrived and was greeted at the office. Nice staff. The play was a well welcomed entertainment far as cost once again and as for the night, would suggest people to go to this laid back type of casual theater atmosphere and enjoy the show. All actors were serious at their parts thus making this a bargain of how well I spent my money and time going. Take my advise..Would recommend this Play and hopefully see more of the same to come from these guys. I HAD FUN and was well entertained for sure....Thanks for the hard work it must have taken :)

Awesome show!
The staff at the theater were friendly and since it is a very small theater, you feel you are right at home. Great atmosphere for a date night or group.

The play was awesome! the actors were amazing and the group had a great time watching the play. We were enthralled by the plot as it unfold the mystery and life of Judas Iscariot. The play was funny with a touch of sadness, overall, this was one of the best play we have ever seen in a while.
Foul language were used deliberately (as expected from the review).
Would I want to see it again? Without a doubt!

Very clever play-writing! A lot of the material has been well researched about what actually happened and what the Gospel writers chose to publish. Of course, nobody really knows what actually happened, but scholarly evidence is the best source we have.

In my opinion, the play should have ended right after the trial ended. The remaining part (go see the play!), I thought was gratuitous and took away the powerful impact of the trial.

Sometimes, the music was too loud and I had a hard time following the dialog. My lady friend found the language not quite palatable but I viewed it as how the characters would have actually thought and acted in today's parlance and therefore very appropriate.

All-in-all, I recommend it not only for its entertainment value but also for the information it provides from historical research.

I saw this at the STAGES not realizing its prior history in NY theater. Was very impressed with the cast and the level of historical data provided. Asked tough questions (not just about Judas, either) and thankfully didn't answer them--left it up to the viewer to ponder.

The story line is quite interesting, and, overall the acting was really good. The only drawback for me was the extent of the vulgar language. Since neither I nor any of my friends use such language, it is quite a shocker.

This was a great play! I would have given it 5 stars but it ran over 2.5 hours - a little long for my enjoyment. There is a lot of profanity so definitely not suitable for a young audience - I think it would have been just as

effective and poignant with half of it.

The play was well-written but very unevenly acted and poorly directed. The staging was decent considering the small space, but the background songs were far too loud and frequently drowned out the actors' lines.

Terrific show. I would go back and see it again. I've told other people
and they will be going to see it. Since I stated to attend performances at
Stages, I find the everything I've seen has been more than great !
The casting for this show was perfect and all of the performers would
certainly be " Oscar nomination material

Wonderful attack. The play is quite the beast, however this production displayed it nicely. Good use of the space. Neat little theater. And the opening night wine, cupcakes, etc. donated by Saloon Sweets? I believe, was well received. Gonna try to bring some people to see it again before it closes. Powerful ideas, topics, discussions, arguments.

I enjoyed the acting however, the foul language was excessive and really took away from fully enjoying the play. I enjoyed the prosecuting attorney's and the defense attorney's role. It was really well played by both parties. I didn't know the purpose of the character who did all he swearing. They could have done without her. She was extremely offensive. I think we should be warned prior to purchasing the tickets of the strong and offensive language

Very nice production. Judge, Devil and Judas really stand out. Light take on a very heavy subject. Go see it.

This was an exceptional drama - in a way it was a contemporary morality play - lots to think about afterwards. The actors were EXEMPLARY in their roles! Difficult roles. Thank you.

Very talented actors - Especially loved the judge and the devil in this play - perhaps some expressions went over my head-oh well!
Nice theatre - small and comfortable

The play was very good and the acting was great. If you are uncomfortable with heavy profanity, then you might want to skip this one. Heavy profanity is used throughout the entire play. I noticed a large group of people did not return after intermission.

Terribly disappointed! Not at all what I expected. It was extremely offensive in language and content. Music was too loud and overpowered the voices. On second thought, perhaps it would have been better had it drowned out the voices entirely! We left at intermission