Scotiabank Rising Teammates, Jesus Hopped The A Train . JESUS HOPPED THE A TRAIN - Equity video submissions Actor's Express Theatre Company | Atlanta, GA, Associate Artistic Director Amanda Washington. Two contrasting prison guards, although convincingly portrayed by Quinn M. Johnson Charlie DAmico (good-guy, likable Charlie DAmico) and Justin Picado (strict, cruel Valdez), remain schematic. 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. Doubt. It explores the space between what can be done and what should be done. Describe the Night. There is nothing abstract about them: Mr. Guirgis says that the play began in his own attempt to rescue a friend from the Unification Church. Valdez (Christian M. Castro), the quick-with-the-club guard, has no use for Lucius' proclamations of faith. 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. idea of performance. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. . This 2000 play, which has had a few productions locally, probably carries extra resonance in a year when criminal justice and questions about mass incarceration have been pushed to the foreground. But mostly there The performance by Williams was understated but effective and led to one of the most compelling scenes, where D'Amico is describing Lucius' execution. Uploaded by In the Signature Theater revival of Stephen Adly Guirgis' "Jesus Hopped the A Train . Evening performances are at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 8 p.m. on Saturday; matinees are at 2 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday. 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. Their monologues are all interesting, at least, but Guirgis was mainly interested in having Angel and Lucius debate. 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 . JESUS HOPPED THE 'A' TRAIN by Stephen Adly Guirgis . We meet two guards. . October 23, 2017. 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. Nor does Angel, at least initially. Jesus Hopped The A Trainquestions the legal and penal systems in the US and offers a stark reflection on how the law struggles to deal with the complexities of the human . The shooting was part of Angels plan to rescue his best friend, whom the cult had stolen and brainwashed. . Sign up today to unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. . Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train reveals a young playwright's awkwardness with its overwritten passages and reliance on expository monologues. . . JESUS HOPPED THE A TRAIN Auditions Actor's Express Theatre Company in Submission 11/23. Perhaps the most stirring monologue of the play comes from . 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. 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. Written by Stephen Adly Guirgis One has been serving his sentence for years, but his discovery of God helps him find joy in his days. . Angel's desperate desire for assurance and forgiveness make him, in a weird way, immediately lovable. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train Paper Elizabeth Taylor Class: Theatre 100-162W Professor: Christopher . We see Angel meeting with his lawyer, a tightly-wound public defender with personal walls as thick as the ones at Rikers. But me? Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Gain full access to show guides, character breakdowns, auditions, monologues and more! Renner criticized the characters of Hanraham and Valdez as heavy-handed, and also considered the play to contain "awkward exposition. Angel is awaiting trial - his first. Synopsis. Search the history of over 797 billion 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. A monologue from the play Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train by Francesco Di MaioShot and Directed by Hitop Films. 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 . Four glass society, are remarkabl. . View All Characters in Jesus Hopped the A Train. Set inside Rikers Island, Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train follows Angel . . light and freedom. Angel Cruz. Free will versus actions determined by the circumstances of our existence. 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. Read 26 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. 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. Hes a violent, racist jerk and not much else, although casting Hall in the role does give it some interesting subtext. And 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. they come through these characters whose unbridled sense of humour, stories, 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. 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 start to Eclipse Theatre . Signature Theater; 294 seats; $65 top. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train begins and ends with the same image: a young prisoner, Angel, on his knees, praying in darkness. Beautifully acted, these scenes are expertly written by Guirgis whose dialogue is both frank, darkly comical and naturalistic while still playing host to some fascinating theological debates. Inside Rikers Island, a terrified Angel is befriended by a charismatic serial killer named Lucius Jenkins. Angel Cruz is a young Puerto Rican man incarcerated for shooting a cult leader after said person "stole" his best friend. Where: Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport Ave. Tickets: $30 at 773-935-6875 or www.eclipsetheatre.com. We are working with an Equity-approved safety plan that includes vaccination, testing, masking, cleaning and distancing protocols. Then one day they get talking. Gender: Male. Angel Cruz. Visceral Adventure . THE COVID-19 MONOLOGUES; . Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train reveals a young playwright's awkwardness with its overwritten passages and reliance on expository monologues. Laura Baronet. As his name implies, Angel wrestles with questions of faith, and those questions come pouring out from Lucius during their side-by-side exercise sessions in the prison's outdoor cages. 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) Lucius Jenkins is a serial killer, . 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. 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 . An inmate at Rikers (ANGEL) struggles with his new circumstances as he tries to convince his fellow inmate (LUCIUS) to speak to him. Lucius to dislike, although this is after weve warmed to him. Capture a web page as it appears now for use as a trusted citation in the future. Angel holds out that he was justified and his lawyer's sure that a hearts-and-minds appeal will get him off at trial. Riggins has done terrific work at Collective Consciousness before. Story. His play Between Riverside and Crazy won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. 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. His play Between Riverside and Crazy won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Jesus Hopped The 'A' Train is a play written by Stephen Adly Guirgis . Toggle navigation . With some bravado, Angel insists that what he did was therefore only technically wrong. Jesus Hopped the A Train. In 2011, his play The Motherfucker with the Hat was nominated for a handful of Tonys, including Best Play; a few scant weeks after the award . Joey said, "Jesus hopped the A train to see us safe to bed." The first, Charlie D'Amico (Erick Betancourt), is soon fired for doing a variety of favors for Lucius. 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. Explore, Explain, and argue. Jesus_Hopped_A . No memorization required. Seeking 2 Actor Team for Spring Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train Theatre Review. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train is a graphic and disturbing deep dive into prison life and faith. He has a great, effective monologue at the end about the death of Lucius that is sublime. Angel's desperate desire for assurance and forgiveness make him, in a weird way, immediately lovable. When the cult leader dies during surgery, Angel suddenly finds himself facing murder charges. A monologue from Jesus Hopped Jesus Hopped The A Train- Angel on Vimeo There is even something endearing about the crime that put him in prison: He shot a cult leader in the butt while trying to rescue a friend. Whilst Angel Cruz (Ukweli Roach) is locked up in prison for a murder accusation after he . Soulpepper's 'Jesus Hopped the A Train' does just that. There are a finite number of Shakespeare monologues, so the most accessible roles for actors in their 20's tend to be overdone. "Our Father, who art in Heaven, Howard be thy name . Jesus Hopped the A Train tells the story of several inmates of Rikers Prison who are awaiting charges for murder. The play takes place in a prison on Rikers Island in New York. Mark Brokaw directs a cast made up of Edi Gathegi, Sean Carvajal, Ricardo Chavira, Erick Betancourt, and Stephanie DiMaggio. 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. A good opportunity to break away from the constant repetition of intense conflicts were monologues delivered to the . For tickets and information, call Ticket Central at 212 . . . Seeking 2 Actor Team for Spring or convincing themselves. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train is at the Young Vic until . . . At a glance Short North. Submit at https://actors-express.com/get-involved/ . You might even think that those first two scenes play just a little too broadly. . As long as these interviews maintain the plays furiously Socratic tone, they enhance the idea that making good choices in an evil world is nearly beyond the human skill set. DAmico - (30s/40s/Italian) He is a gentle and more calming guard at Rikers. But in the next cell to Angel is an articulate serial killer called Lucius who has found God and who tries . 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. The performance by Williams was understated but effective and led to one of the most compelling scenes, where D'Amico is describing Lucius' execution. 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). 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 . How Angel (John Ortiz) and Lucius (Ron Cephas Jones) are in lock-down, spending all but one hour a day in their cells. But in a series of monologues that pull further back from the action, Hanrahans reflections on the case, and on her own investment in it, dissipate the tension. 0. Sign up today to unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train. Playing the charismatic older convict, Lucius a self-proclaimed child of god who has killed six people Jones is a live coal onstage. We see Angels first night behind bars, trying in vain to remember the Lords Prayer (Our Father, who art in heaven, Howard be thy name. glass, to create the sense that characters might be talking to, arguing with, Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train. So where is God where is good in the criminal justice system? "Angel Cruz is a thirty-year-old bike messenger from NYC who has lost his best friend to a religious cult. Short North Stages streaming production, which continues through June 27, is well-acted and tightly staged. for her but theres also a personal connection. The two convicts talk about God and redemption, free-will, racism, addiction and the meaning of freedom. He shares an isolation wing with Angel, placed there for protection after he was attacked and raped while on remand.