The latter shot a Korean minister (apparently modeled after the Rev. 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. . More . One has been serving his sentence for years, but his discovery of God helps him find joy in his days. No memorization required. (Scott Dray). Their monologues are all interesting, at least, but Guirgis was mainly interested in having Angel and Lucius debate. Short North Stages streaming production, which continues through June 27, is well-acted and tightly staged. 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. Doubt. He is the author of the award winning book of poetry "Hip Hop Is Dead - Long Live Hip Hop: The Birth, Death And Resurrection Of Hip Hop Activism" (2017) and is the inaugural Poet Laureate of Alachua County, Florida (2020 - 2022). We are working with an Equity-approved safety plan that includes vaccination, testing, masking, cleaning and distancing protocols. Their ongoing debates become the tortured heart of the play, and sometimes put the play itself at risk of becoming didactic. What is clear is that the justice system leaves even the people on the other side of the cage scarred. The performance by Williams was understated but effective and led to one of the most compelling scenes, where D'Amico is describing Lucius' execution. Reverend Kim, a Lexus-driving cult leader who's sucked in Angel's childhood friend, Joey. Still . After that line, the play instantly becomes an obscenity oratorio in which vicious, muscular dialogue, appropriate to its setting, turns into gorgeous music. Written by Stephen Adly Guirgis Lucius has found God and been born again, and now, Angel's life and the course of his trial will be changed forever. Uploaded by 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. Riggins has done terrific work at Collective Consciousness before. The kind that opens up the scope of a script. 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. Running time: 2 hours and 20 minutes with one 20-minute interval. jesus hopped the a train lucius monologuehow long does it take to digest raw broccoli. Contents 1 Plot synopsis 2 Productions 3 Reception 4 References 5 External links Plot synopsis The play takes place in a prison on Rikers Island in New York. But then, in a knife-edge final discussion before Lucius is sent to the electric chair, Angel extraordinarily finds that he too is turning towards the faith that he has so far shunned, thus jeopardising his own case against the born-agains. Sean Carvajal stars in Stephen Adly Guirgis's Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train, directed by Mark Brokaw, at Signature Theatre. Was it my free will to be an undiagnosed manic-depressive paranoid schizophrenic?! Lucius Jenkins, a.k.a. 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. glass, to create the sense that characters might be talking to, arguing with, Reviews for Jesus Hopped the . Directed by Kevin Mack. doors slide back and forth to create the different places, most notably the separated agrees to represent him. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train Theatre Review. Angel's stated justification is that the minister ran a cult that took his best friend away from him. The play's format, which really focuses on a series of monologues and duologues - offers a complete focus on the individuals . 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. Joey said, "Jesus hopped the A train to see us safe to bed." **** Mary Jane . T.Schreiber. Angel Cruz is a young Puerto Rican man incarcerated for shooting a cult leader after said person stole his best friend. Angel Cruz. | Check out 'Jesus Hopped The 'A' Train Fundraiser' on Indiegogo. His first five plays were directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman, and subsequently received critically acclaimed productions in New York and London. 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. Brayden Fagbemis putback rescues No. Vocal Part: Angel Cruz. Riverside Jacksonville News, Lucius Jenkins: Male, 40-49 Work from Home Christian, serial killer, smug, confident, and charismatic, with a near manic upbeat energy. 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) Not Exactly Billington: writing about theatre since 2012. Playing Lucius Jenkins, a fellow inmate convicted of murdering eight people, Riggins delivers the kind of . 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. Stephen Adly Guirgis got his break in 2000 with "Jesus Hopped the . Free will versus actions determined by the circumstances of our existence. His play Between Riverside and Crazy won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Jesus Hopped the A . Research Playwrights, Librettists, Composers and Lyricists. Before Angel arrived, Lucius would spend this time chatting with DAmico, a kindly guard played by Rob Giardian. very much confined are fully opened out. 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 . 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. New York, NY, Accessibility Statement Terms Privacy |StageAgent 2020. Jesus Hopped the "a " Train( main work) . Angel Cruz and Lucius Jenkins face murder charges. One of the most striking things about Soulpepper's Jesus Hopped The 'A' Train is how multi-dimensional its main characters are. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train. Thats not to say everything in Jesus works so well. clean in its execution, and one which gives the illusion (conversely) of space, Father Flynn. . Soulpepper Theatre presents Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train, a graphic and distressing story of two prison inmates serving time for murder. Jesus beautifully toys with that idea, like in Mary Janes monologue about her alcoholic father. Hes angry, lonely, frustrated and struggling with his faith/spirituality. Spoken in Riggins hoarse yet commanding drawl, modulating his speed and timbre with the dexterity of a blues guitarist, its the kind of moment when a play hits a perfect bulls-eye. Hes a violent, racist jerk and not much else, although casting Hall in the role does give it some interesting subtext. Nor does Angel, at least initially. But the guy dies, and the Angel is in solitary . Early on in the play, Valdez has a monologue-which may appear to be his only redeeming moment in the play. But the audience also hears stories of childhood friendships and complicated . Guirgis explores crime, punishment, responsibility, redemption, religion, faith, skepticism, God and whether justice is possible in this flawed world. 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. Seeking 2 Actor Team for Spring 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.). 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 reveals a young playwright's awkwardness with its overwritten passages and reliance on expository monologues. His poetry has appeared in various literary publications in the United States and abroad. 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 . . Both are in protective custody and must spend their one-hour of outside time locked in individual pens. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. "[19] J. Kelly Nestruck of The Globe and Mail awarded it three and a half out of four stars in 2020, calling it "skillfully structured so that the audiences sympathies see-saw back and forth between" Lucius and Valdez. Elysium Theatre deserve much credit for bringing Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train to Manchester for the first time. Renner criticized the characters of Hanraham and Valdez as heavy-handed, and also considered the play to contain "awkward exposition. Angel Cruz, a poor Puerto Rican, isn't . Lucius is a serial . church/ cult leader in his water buffalo-sized ass in an attempt to rescue his Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train begins and ends with the same image: a young prisoner, Angel, on his knees, praying in darkness. The play was performed during the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland in August 2001. Inside Rikers Island, a terrified Angel is befriended by a charismatic serial killer named Lucius Jenkins. It's a tight, well-paced and thoughtful staging . Lucius is awaiting extradition to Florida to take responsibility for the trail of bodies he left behind. Start your review of Jesus Hopped the A Train. about justice and redemption, whats right and wrong, and the power of belief. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train is playing through November 12 . Intermission is partnering with Soulpepper Theatre Company and theatre critic Robert Cushman to mentor this season's participants. It allows Lucius evangelism to soar does the system treat people the same when the circumstances are so different? (He tells his court-appointed lawyer that he merely aimed at Kims water-buffalo-sized posterior.) 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. Email auditions@actorsexpress.com if you have questions. web pages . You might even think that those first two scenes play just a little too broadly. Angel Cruz is a 30-year-old bicycle messenger awaiting trial for the death of the leader of a religious cult. 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. The two convicts talk about God and redemption, free-will, racism, addiction and the meaning of freedom. Author bio(s) $13.00. A monologue from the play Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train by Francesco Di MaioShot and Directed by Hitop Films. We meet two guards. or convincing themselves. 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 . Even if Guirgis' play doesn't always add up, the individual pieces are highly watchable. [16] In 2018, Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train was ranked by The New York Times writers as the 14th best American play of the previous 25 years. Jesus Hopped the "A" Train by Kerry Reid March 14, 2002 August 19, . Photograph by Teresa Wood. 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 . Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train. . The characters have nowhere to hide so it heightens the Nah, people doan wanna hear bout none a that! For tickets and information, call Ticket Central at 212 . The joy of Stephen Adly Guirgis' Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train is in meeting his characters: . If you're wondering what Philip Seymour . the shock of the charismatic Lucius' descriptions of his own murders, and finally, the 'A' train itself. Call 614-725-4042 or visitshortnorthstage.org. Gathegi. 1 Benet in a sectional final. A sociopathic serial killer awaiting extradition to Florida, Lucius pauses from his workouts only to chain smoke and to "save" Angel. other. 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. The opening monologue, in which Angel struggles to say the Lords Prayer but repeatedly mangles it, is so packed with frustrated profanities that it evokes David Mamets extremes. It is as vital now as it was at the turn of the millennium. In fact, that symmetry is present in almost every character. Those arguments are eternal, as the frequent biblical references suggest. Seeking 2 Actor Team for Spring One of the most striking things about Soulpepper's Jesus Hopped The 'A' Train is how multi-dimensional its main characters are. 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. With so many themes to explore some get little more than a cursory nod, but in this Young . 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. Lucius Jenkins. Off Broadway Review: 'Jesus Hopped the A Train'. Packed densely into a bullet-fast script, a barrage of . Search all monologues. 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. 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 graphic and disturbing deep dive into prison life and faith. Lucius to dislike, although this is after weve warmed to him. 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 . . Mary Jane Hanrahan - (late 20s/early 30s/White) She is Angels jaded and tired state appointed attorney. The critic wrote that there are "overwritten passages and reliance on expository monologues. Rehearsals and performances held indoors at Actors Express. Stephen Adly Guirgis. Jesus Hopped the A Train. Angel (Jhulenty Delossantos, who starts off strong but grows even more assured once he starts interacting with Riggins) meets Lucius in the prison yard. . He projects a grooviness turned dry and brittle, making each. Kim's described affect on Joey, the friend Angel fought so hard to free from a cultish existence built by a false prophet. 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. Jesus Hopped the A Train tells the story of several inmates of Rikers Prison who are awaiting charges for murder. rikers island prison, new york, present day, Ages 12-17: Camp Broadway Ensemble @ Carnegie Hall. The legal procedural in the play on the Internet. Good cop is D'Amico (a warm and sturdy Robert Heinly), who exemplifies kind-hearted compassion. [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. Lucius Jenkins - (40s/50s/Black) He is a charismatic, confident convicted serial killer but he has a strong Christian faith since being incarcerated. Join StageAgent today and 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. Jesus Hopped the A Train. The others Stephanie DiMaggio as Hanrahan, Erick Betancourt as Charlie and especially Ricardo Chavira as the terrifying Valdez support them, and the plays whipsawing arguments, handily. The play was produced in London at the Donmar Warehouse in 2002. The themes are smartly presented and evident without having public defender Mary Jane (Bridget McCarthy) say one mans neurotic is another mans hero, and who, ultimately, can say which ones which with any real certainty at all? The guard Valdez is not given the depth and nuance doled out to the other characters. Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. JESUS HOPPED THE 'A' TRAIN by Stephen Adly Guirgis . The Vagina Monologues; Eve Ensler; 3 pages. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train plays through April 21st at the SF Playhouse, 533 Sutter St, San Francisco. Rabbit Hole. Angel Cruz and Lucius Jenkins face murder charges. . He is the one who reaches out, shares cigarettes, warns about the Monday soup and recites the names of the books of the Old Testament, backward, while doing deep knee bends and lunges. JESUS HOPPED THE 'A' TRAIN . Director Chari Arespocachaga, who also staged Short North Stages 2020 area premiere of Guirgis The (Expletive) with the Hat, again knits together a well-paced production that scores with edgy insights and dark humor. 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. one hour of sunlight a day and he has all of the, Adly Guirgis raises questions Elysium Theatre deserve much credit for bringing Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train to Manchester for the first time. When the cult leader dies during surgery, Angel suddenly finds himself facing murder charges. Inside Rikers Island, a terrified Angel is befriended by a charismatic serial . His lawyer Hanrahan 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.