"The Last Days of Judas Iscariot" - Theatre 68 in Hollywood, CA

For some reason the past 5 months of my life in California have been all about the Bible. Ok, I may be exaggerating a bit but religious figures and influences seem to be popping up all over the place. I've been dragged along to a production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," have been repeatedly subjected to the soundtrack from "Jesus Christ Superstar," and recently landed my first LA acting job on a Jews for Jesus television series. To a spiritually minded agnostic who grew up secularly Jewish, these coincidences are notable. The latest event to add to my list? Last weekend, I caught a performance of "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot" at Theatre 68 in Hollywood. Be sure to stay tuned for the next chapter in my Jesus escapades in Los Angeles. But first, here are my thoughts on the show.

In a small corner of a broken down strip mall, Theatre 68 sits almost hidden. Walking up to its doors I was hoping to have uncovered a gem in such modest surroundings. I love being in a theatre. I love acting, actors, stories, and watching situations play out before me on stage. The energy from a live performance is almost palpable and contagious. I go into a show hoping to love it. I want to leave inspired and fulfilled and maybe a bit more connected to humanity. Does this sound like a lofty expectation? Perhaps. But my point is that my intentions are good and in the favor of the play from the start. This past Saturday night's performance did not exactly live up to my greatest of expectations. The show is centered around the story of Judas Iscariot (yes that Judas) as two lawyers fight for and against his appeal in purgatory. A heavy topic of course, but if you have a few hours to kill and want to spend them pondering God and humanity than this might be your thing.

"The Last Days of Judas Iscariot" clocks in at a little over three hours (including intermission). Anything that long has got to either provide free food and drink or be absolutely amazing. This gave me neither. I brought my cousin along and I'm pretty sure I saw her doze off once or twice. Don't get me wrong, the production definitely has its pluses, and even excels in certain areas. But I can't exactly say the pros outweigh the cons.

My favorite part of the show would certainly have to be Danny Cistone's set design. It was beyond detailed and extraordinary. I found myself watching the set more than the actors. Purgatory is imagined within the spacious theatre as a New York subway station, complete with turnstile, subway cars, a bodega selling magazines and snacks, graffiti and lots of littered fast food. There are stairs that ascend "uptown" and another set descending to a "downtown" bathed in red light. It is definitely a sight to be seen. As far as the acting goes, the show is peppered with a few standout performances. As Satan, Ronnie Marmo was the most fun to watch, channeling Al Pacino's character from "The Devil's Advocate." Marmo, also producer and artistic director of the 68 Cent Crew Theatre Company, seemed the most comfortable on stage out of all the actors. I watched him with anticipation. In another mentionable performance, Robert Mollohan played the central character of Judas Iscariot with acute focus, commitment, and purpose. He made Judas sympathetic without being pathetic. The rest of the actors in the 18 character play were for the most part harmless and provided comic relief and interesting anecdotes to the otherwise heavy material. The only character I had trouble with was that of Fabiana Aziza Cunningham as played by Katy Jacoby. As one of the leading roles in the play, Jacoby was onstage a great deal and all we got from her was anger. The character is supposed to be defending Judas and thus bringing to light the hypocrisies of Christianity and God. Sure, Fabiana is intense and determined to win her case but there is usually more dimensions to a character than what lies within the text. The entire time she appeared on stage, we were presented with one note. I'm sure Jacoby is a fine actress, but in this leading and therefore central role, I was not keen on her choices.

Overall, Stephen Adly Guirgis's script is inventive, interesting, and chock full of important questions. However, it is ultimately a bit too redundant for the stage. I enjoy an open discourse on the subject of God, organized religion and humanity as much as the next person, but I found myself lose interest about halfway through. If you are curious, "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot" has been extended until March 30th.