In one of the plays strongest and most sobering moments, Lucius rails against this saying Was it my free will to be abused and violated from the age a five? 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. or convincing themselves. Rather it is Mr. Guirgiss tip-off that what may look like a genre play a legal procedural is going to consider Gods justice as well as mans. 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. | Check out 'Jesus Hopped The 'A' Train Fundraiser' on Indiegogo. Rehearsal: May 28 - July 7, 2018. . Angel Cruz and Lucius Jenkins face murder charges. Perhaps the most stirring monologue of the play comes from . The critic wrote that there are "overwritten passages and reliance on expository monologues. We see how his case becomes of a professional project . 0. Email auditions@actorsexpress.com if you have questions. (He tells his court-appointed lawyer that he merely aimed at Kims water-buffalo-sized posterior.) 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. His play Between Riverside and Crazy won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Its an aesthetic which is extremely 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, . 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, 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. In fact . The victim? Lucius Jenkins, a monologue from Jesus Hopped the A-Train by Stephen Adly Gurgius. But the audience also hears stories of childhood friendships and complicated . Yet, the five characters, their fraught interactions and the impact they have on each others lives sustain interest. 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. More than most Zoom-style productions, this one unifies separately filmed characters through the actors expert timing and via the common scenic background of poster-stylized prison and protest. But in the next cell to Angel is an articulate serial killer called Lucius who has found God and who tries . 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. "Our Father, who art in . Results may vary. 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. View All Characters in Jesus Hopped the A Train. Inside Rikers Island, a terrified Angel is befriended by a charismatic serial . 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 . [7] It was nominated for the Olivier Award, Best New Play for 2003.[8]. Capture a web page as it appears now for use as a trusted citation in the future. But when the Reverend dies in hospital, Angel lands in solitary confinement next to Lucius, a card-carrying Christian serial-killer. Monologues from Plays. Lucius and Angel act as spiritual foils. For tickets and information, call Ticket Central at 212 . Are we really laughing with Angel or at him? 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. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train reveals a young playwright's awkwardness with its overwritten passages and reliance on expository monologues. It explores the space between what can be done and what should be done. centres around Angel, who finds himself facing a murder charge after shooting a One has been serving his sentence for years, but his discovery of God helps him find joy in his days. David Zayas and Ron Cephas Jones in Jesus Hopped the A Train. Sign up today to unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. One gets the sense that, with only a slight reversal of fate, Valdez and Mary Jane could have easily ended up going down a dark path with Angel serving as their subsequent lawyer. J esus Hopped the 'A' Train occurs almost entirely within the one-hour-per-day periods when two Rikers Island prisonersAngel Cruz (Anthony Lam) and Lucius Jenkins (Bobby Bermea)get to . Stephen Adly Guirgis' 2000 play, Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train follows Angel Cruz and God-lover Lucius Jenkins, as they navigate life in a prison on Rikers Island in New York. 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. . Sign up today to unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. Short North Stages streaming production, which continues through June 27, is well-acted and tightly staged. When the cult leader dies during surgery, Angel suddenly finds himself facing murder charges. Some auditors urge actors to find classical monologues from writers other than Shakespeare. Jesus Hopped The 'A' Train is a play written by Stephen Adly Guirgis. It's a tight, well-paced and thoughtful staging . Barrow Group. [4][5][6] The original cast included Salvatore Inzerillo, John Ortiz, and David Zayas, Ron Cephas Jones, and Elizabeth Canavan.[4]. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train is at the Young Vic until . Jesus Hopped the A Train book. But as Lucius works his sociopathic charm on Angel, he begins to open up little by little. Valdez (Christian M. Castro), the quick-with-the-club guard, has no use for Lucius' proclamations of faith. Willis design are deceptively simple. agrees to represent him. He has rightly focused instead on shaping the cast into a superlative ensemble despite a series of setbacks: Both Mr. Carvajal and Mr. Gathegi, who are excellent, were late replacements. Late in Jesus Hopped the "A" Train, . Part Size: Lead. Submit at https://actors-express.com/get-involved/ . Lucius has found God and been reborn. Monologues for Women; Comedic; . Angel Cruz is a 30-year-old bicycle messenger awaiting trial for the death of the leader of a religious cult. about justice and redemption, whats right and wrong, and the power of belief. This leads you to expect Jerry Orbach, or a neat denouement that Mr. Guirgis is not about to provide. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train is playing through November 12 . The new guard Valdez (Jason Hall) is cruel and curt. Lucius. Review | Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train | Young Vic | 5 Stars | Kate Hewitt's production of Stephen Adly Guirgis' 'Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train' is bold and. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train. . Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train is a graphic and disturbing deep dive into prison life and faith. Jesus Hopped the A Train - Play. The monologue of Paravicini from The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie (comedy / murder mystery) Shakespeare Monologue (Performance Video) . Directed by Kevin Mack. 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. It allows Lucius evangelism to soar 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 . Riggins has done terrific work at Collective Consciousness before. 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. When "Jesus Hopped The A Train" begins, you think it's going to be a story about Angel Cruz, a thirty-year-old Latino who winds up in prison after shooting a cult leader in a botched mission to rescue his brainwashed friend. "[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. Renner criticized the characters of Hanraham and Valdez as heavy-handed, and also considered the play to contain "awkward exposition. We are working with an Equity-approved safety plan that includes vaccination, testing, masking, cleaning and distancing protocols. [12][13] However, Pamela Renner reviewed the premiere unfavorably in Variety, with most praise reserved for Ron Cephas Jones. New York playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis' star has been firmly on the rise for the last 12 years or so. Mark Brokaw directs a cast made up of Edi Gathegi, Sean Carvajal, Ricardo Chavira, Erick Betancourt, and Stephanie DiMaggio. The cast of "Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train" by Eclipse Theatre. Lucius has done terrible things but now he has found God. Short North Stage will stream Jesus Hopped the A Train through June 27.Tickets cost $15. Jesus Hopped the A Train tells the story of several inmates of Rikers Prison who are awaiting charges for murder. 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. The questions dont so much hover over Jesus Hopped the A Train as yank at it with gale force. 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. Was it my free will to be an undiagnosed manic-depressive paranoid schizophrenic?! the shock of the charismatic Lucius' descriptions of his own murders, and finally, the 'A' train itself. Lucius to dislike, although this is after weve warmed to him. 1 Benet in a sectional final. The production received considerable acclaim from critics such as Ben Brantley of the New York Times and Michael Feingold of The Village Voice. But they are also particular to our time and place, perhaps even more so now that the United States is the worlds largest jailer than they were in 2000. light and freedom. Lucius Jenkins has found God, and Angel's life and the course of his trial will be changed forever. . Jesus Hopped first opened off-Broadway in November of 2000. Late in Jesus Hopped the "A" Train, . Added to the mix are Lucius Jenkins, a serial killer turned born-again Christian, and Valdez, a sadistic corrections officer. Guirgis tosses a lot of moral questions into the mix here, and while he avoids moralizing (as does Anish Jethmalani's crisp and high-octane production), he also doesn't seem to have fully decided whether he's writing a searing portrait of the dehumanization of the correctional system or a theological deconstruction of the rock of faith in a hard place. . . Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train is a graphic and disturbing deep dive into prison life and faith. Sure, it tells a story of addiction and cyclical abuse a narrative we've grown to expect about those who go behind bars. Qty: Full Length, Drama 4 men, 1 woman Total Cast: 5, Flexible Set ISBN-13: 978--8222-1799-2. Performances: Wednesday-Saturday 8:00 pm; Please note that Actors Express has committed to five-day work weeks. Sure, it tells a story of addiction and cyclical abuse a narrative we've grown to expect about those who go behind bars. Castro's Valdez and Birnkrant's Mary Jane certainly seem as flawed if not quite as violent in the case of the latter as Angel. But mostly there An icon used to represent a menu that can be toggled by interacting with this icon. Soulpepper Theatre presents Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train, a graphic and distressing story of two prison inmates serving time for murder. Angel Cruz is a 30-year-old bicycle messenger awaiting trial for the death of the leader of a religious cult. As such, Equity encourages performers of all ethnicities, gender identities, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities, to submit. Two years later a similar production was mounted at Londons Donmar Warehouse. Intermission is thrilled to be hosting the inaugural theatre reviews of the Emerging Arts Critics Programme 2019/20 season. (Arthur Williams III), an older man who shows him kindness and seeks to show him the way to Jesus's love. Joey said, "Jesus hopped the A train to see us safe to bed." **** Mary Jane . Lucius (Carl Lumbly), an articulate serial killer who has found God, is Angel's next door cellmate. Cory Velazco is fascinatingly impulsive, defensive, skeptical and earnest as Angel Cruz, a young man who finds himself in prison after trying to save his best friend from a religious cult. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train revels in these complexities. . New York, NY, Linda Ray Research Playwrights, Librettists, Composers and Lyricists. In the Signature Theater revival of Stephen Adly Guirgis' "Jesus Hopped the A Train . The play runs about 15 minutes too long the second act has too much repetitive, screamed arguments and Guirgis has a habit of spelling his theses out a little too neatly. It seems simple on the surface, but between these two strong actors, Guirgis stellar script and Dexter J. Singletons finely-tuned direction, it makes for electric theater. Pirie has a resume of fine acting longer than Lucius' rap sheet, and it shows. But after DAmico is canned for slipping Lucius contraband cookies, hes left without an audience. Mary Jane Hanrahan - (late 20s/early 30s/White) She is Angels jaded and tired state appointed attorney. . The kind that opens up the scope of a script. Lucius Jenkins is on appeal, trying to avoid the death penalty for the murder of eight people. That Lucius (Edi Gathegi) is generally sunny and witty despite having killed eight people plays with our loyalties. THE COVID-19 MONOLOGUES; . Runs to February 23 at The Young Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto's Historic Distillery District in the Michael Young Theatre, 50 Tank House Lane. Vocal Part: Angel Cruz. Jesus Hopped the A Train characters breakdowns including full descriptions with standard casting requirements and expert analysis. 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. Part Size . . JESUS HOPPED THE 'A' TRAIN by Stephen Adly Guirgis . . 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 . Author bio(s) $13.00. In 2017 Jesus Hopped the A Train seems to ask whether justice, and even God, is possible in an unjust society. Mirrors, not cages, provide the true path to justice and peace. Jesus Hopped the A Train tells the story of several inmates of Rikers Prison who are awaiting charges for murder. one hour of sunlight a day and he has all of the, Adly Guirgis raises questions Explore, Explain, and argue. 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.). Search the history of over 797 billion Off Broadway Review: 'Jesus Hopped the A Train'. We only provide suggested audition monologues or songs for an individual character if our system finds content that matches a character's traits. The play was performed during the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland in August 2001. 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. 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 . Anyone can read what you share. A great feeling., Justin Steele and 6 Chicago Cubs relievers combine for the 1st spring training no-hitter in franchise history. Terell W.J. Opened Oct. 23, 2017. Angel (Sean Carvajal) is being held pending trial for the shooting of a Reverend Kim, the leader of a religious organization modeled on Sun Myung Moons Unification Church. Lucius Jenkins: Male, 40-49 Work from Home Christian, serial killer, smug, confident, and charismatic, with a near manic upbeat energy. A monologue from Jesus H. JESUS HOPPED THE A TRAIN - Equity video submissions Actor's Express Theatre Company | Atlanta, GA, Associate Artistic Director Amanda Washington. New York, NY, Accessibility Statement Terms Privacy |StageAgent 2020. Some movie actress, she got incested once or twice, she so brave to come forward! Their scenes together alternate with ones in which Angels lawyer, Mary Jane Hanrahan, must break through his perverse resistance in order to prepare him for court. What does it mean? friend. . Jesus beautifully toys with that idea, like in Mary Janes monologue about her alcoholic father. Intermission is partnering with Soulpepper Theatre Company and theatre critic Robert Cushman to mentor this season's participants. 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. 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. 14 day loan required to access PDF files. Scotiabank Rising Teammates, DAmico - (30s/40s/Italian) He is a gentle and more calming guard at Rikers. Seeking 2 Actor Team for Spring Stephen Adly Guirgis' critical and hilarious examination o. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train Theatre Review. . Kim's described affect on Joey, the friend Angel fought so hard to free from a cultish existence built by a false prophet. In the Signature Theater revival of Stephen Adly Guirgis' "Jesus Hopped the A Train . (Scott Dray). Arthur Williams III as Lucius Jenkins and Bill Stambaugh as Valdez in Hovey's 'Jesus Hopped the A Train) By Deanna Dement Myers. Jesus Hopped the A Train. With some bravado, Angel insists that what he did was therefore only technically wrong. The performance by Williams was understated but effective and led to one of the most compelling scenes, where D'Amico is describing Lucius' execution. . Guide written by. The legal procedural in the play Good versus evil. The Kean Theatre Conservatory will open its 2016-2017 season this week with Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train by Pulitzer Prize winner Stephen Adly Guirgis (October 14 - 22, Zella Fry Theatre). 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. Search all monologues. A lot of what we hear from the lawyer is in the form of direct . Sean Carvajal stars in Stephen Adly Guirgis's Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train, directed by Mark Brokaw, at Signature Theatre. If you're wondering what Philip Seymour . Angel Cruz - (20s /Latino) A young man Incarcerated at Rikers Island Prison. His play Between Riverside and Crazy won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Even if Guirgis' play doesn't always add up, the individual pieces are highly watchable. There are a finite number of Shakespeare monologues, so the most accessible roles for actors in their 20's tend to be overdone. Set inside Rikers Island, Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train follows Angel . A great deal of Jesus are the conversations between these two. how long does academy background check take for gun. for her but theres also a personal connection. He shares an isolation wing with Angel, placed there for protection after he was attacked and raped while on remand. Kim's described affect on Joey, the friend Angel fought so hard to free from a cultish existence built by a false prophet. While the sermonic Lucius speaks of redemption before God, of renouncing darkness and embracing salvation, the early interactions between client and lawyer feel underweight in comparison. 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. Theres much about Thats a rare thing to find anywhere, let alone in smaller professional or community groups. These near-monologues are often gorgeous, but they can also be weirdly self-negating; in 'A' Train, they don't even always make sense. Jesus hopped the 'A' train by Guirgis, Stephen Adly. who are written to mostly speak through direct-address. 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. . Brayden Fagbemis putback rescues No. Jesus Hopped the A Train. 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.