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. David Zayas and Ron Cephas Jones in Jesus Hopped the A Train. Lucius Jenkins - (40s/50s/Black) He is a charismatic, confident convicted serial killer but he has a strong Christian faith since being incarcerated. 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. "[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. Late in Jesus Hopped the "A" Train, . 14 day loan required to access PDF files. 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). [17], Michael Billington of The Guardian, who had given the play three out of five stars in 2002,[18] gave the same rating after a 2019 performance and said that "for all the vividness of the dialogue, the play still strikes me as baffling in its exploration of guilt, faith and redemption." But it also displays incendiary passion and insight into its troubled characters". 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 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. Signature Theater presents a revival of 'Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train,' a 2000 drama by Stephen Adly Guirgis, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of 'Between Riverside and Crazy' and 'The Motherf . Jesus Hopped the A . Thats a rare thing to find anywhere, let alone in smaller professional or community groups. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train Paper Elizabeth Taylor Class: Theatre 100-162W Professor: Christopher . Still . JESUS HOPPED THE 'A' TRAIN by Stephen Adly Guirgis . 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. The questions dont so much hover over Jesus Hopped the A Train as yank at it with gale force. 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. Scotiabank Rising Teammates, 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 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. Gender: Male. We hear a story of how her The new guard Valdez (Jason Hall) is cruel and curt. The characters have nowhere to hide so it heightens the Above, over 40 white spot lights illuminate this catwalk. Its an aesthetic which is extremely 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. Lucius Jenkins has found God, and Angel's life and the course of his trial will be changed forever. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train is a graphic and disturbing deep dive into prison life and faith. Jesus Hopped the A Train characters breakdowns including full descriptions with standard casting requirements and expert analysis. All people wanna do is cry for the victims! 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. With so many themes to explore some get little more than a cursory nod, but in this Young . . With some bravado, Angel insists that what he did was therefore only technically wrong. The production received considerable acclaim from critics such as Ben Brantley of the New York Times and Michael Feingold of The Village Voice. 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. Jesus Hopped the A Train is a . ( Joan Marcus) A prisoner struggles through the Lord's . . Making moments memorable are flashbacks some characters share. The play is full of monologues that function to articulate each character's values, very much like back in Sophocles' day, and the directors' decision to stage the play in the round magnifies the standing and authority of each such magnificent speech. The kind that opens up the scope of a script. Seeking 2 Actor Team for Spring station23.cebu Reverend Kim, a Lexus-driving cult leader who's sucked in Angel's childhood friend, Joey. . Lucius has done terrible things but now he has found God. Intermission is partnering with Soulpepper Theatre Company and theatre critic Robert Cushman to mentor this season's participants. An icon used to represent a menu that can be toggled by interacting with this icon. 79 pages ; 20 cm "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. HB Studio. It explores the space between what can be done and what should be done. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train is a brilliant, visceral examination of morality and justice, questioning the difference between true faith and self-serving religion. . Nor does Angel, at least initially. Jesus_Hopped_A . **** Mary Jane (his lawyer): Well . Plot synopsis. Publication date 2002 Topics . Lucius Jenkins - (40's/50's/Black) He is a charismatic, confident convicted serial killer but he has . Riggins has done terrific work at Collective Consciousness before. , albeit in separate chain-link cages. These near-monologues are often gorgeous, but they can also be weirdly self-negating; in 'A' Train, they don't even always make sense. Its also clear that our preconceived notions of these characters color the way we view them. 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. 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. Search the history of over 797 billion "Our Father, who art in Heaven, Howard be thy name . Sign up today to unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. Pursuant to Equity guidelines, proof of full vaccination no later than two weeks prior to in person work is a required condition of employment. 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. 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 . Research Playwrights, Librettists, Composers and Lyricists. . Visceral Adventure . Relying heavily on the attorney's direct address monologues, the entire subject seems to be one Guirgis feels the need to include, but never finds a way to integrate. But the guy dies, and the Angel is in solitary . 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. She makes the switch so effectively between coaching and monologue scenes that at first I thought she was two different actors. 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? 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. Inside Rikers Island, a terrified Angel is befriended by a charismatic serial killer named Lucius Jenkins. it in the round allows the guard Valdez (a smug and pitiable character played very Join StageAgent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. how long does academy background check take for gun. Angel Cruz and Lucius Jenkins face murder charges. But Nieves' resonant performance negotiates the line between adolescence and adulthood, faith and nihilism and other boundaries that cage in Angel's soul as surely as the Rikers walls encase his body. With the criminal-justice system the subject of much scrutiny, Short North Stages production of Jesus Hopped the A Train seems timely. "[15] Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter reviewed a 2017 revival favorably, praising the "incisive characterizations and riveting dialogue". In the Signature Theater revival of Stephen Adly Guirgis' "Jesus Hopped the A Train . does the system treat people the same when the circumstances are so different? 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. But the audience also hears stories of childhood friendships and complicated . 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 . He's being held there because, as he tells us, he "shot a man in the ass" earlier that week. for her but theres also a personal connection. . Even if Guirgis' play doesn't always add up, the individual pieces are highly watchable. Angel (John Ortiz) and Lucius (Ron Cephas Jones) are in lock-down, spending all but one hour a day in their cells. Stephen Adly Guirgis' Pulitzer Prize-winning "Between Riverside and Crazy" gets its local debut at Steppenwolf in June. Results may vary. Synopsis Jesus Hopped the A Train tells the story of several inmates of Rikers Prison who are awaiting charges for murder. Was it my free will to turn ta drugs and alcohol as a result a that sh*t? 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. DAmico - (30s/40s/Italian) He is a gentle and more calming guard at Rikers. the shock of the charismatic Lucius' descriptions of his own murders, and finally, the 'A' train itself. "Angel Cruz is a thirty-year-old bike messenger from NYC who has lost his best friend to a religious cult. 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. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Kim's described affect on Joey, the friend Angel fought so hard to free from a cultish existence built by a false prophet. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train is at the Young Vic until . JESUS HOPPED THE 'A' TRAIN . But his drive and dish make it possible. Jeff. Angel's stated justification is that the minister ran a cult that took his best friend away from him. Lucius is a "celebrity" prisoner, an old-hat at the prison. Jesus Hopped the "A" Train by Kerry Reid March 14, 2002 August 19, . 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. We are working with an Equity-approved safety plan that includes vaccination, testing, masking, cleaning and distancing protocols. friend. Laura Baronet. Angel Cruz. JESUS HOPPED THE 'A' TRAIN by Stephen Adly Guirgis . So many issues are raised that a play much longer than this two-hour, 15-minute streaming production would strain to do all of them justice. Apply for Rights. . Jesus Hopped the A Train. Lucius, despite Taylor's fearsome performance, remains a bit of a conundrum, as captured in a beguiling late-in-the-play monologue from D'Amico (Zach Bloomfield), a guard who loses his job for doing too many favors for the killer. 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. Angel (Jhulenty Delossantos, who starts off strong but grows even more assured once he starts interacting with Riggins) meets Lucius in the prison yard. Relying heavily on the attorney's direct address monologues, the entire subject seems to be one Guirgis feels the need to include, but never finds a way to integrate. JESUS HOPPED THE A TRAIN. Aint no disease a addiction for me, its free will.. Guide written by. It was directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman (yes, that Philip Seymour Hoffman) and ran until the end of December that same year. The play's format, which really focuses on a series of monologues and duologues - offers a complete focus on the individuals . But it isnt that clear, of course. Melanie Furstenberg Dubuque, stimulus control transfer is important for, most dangerous towns in suffolk county, ny, God Is The Giver, And Sustainer Of Life Verse. Given those two scenes, you might assume this will be just another legal procedural about a hoodlum caught up in the prison-industrial complex. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train does not offer a clear verdict, even while it implicitly criticises the judicial and penal systems of America. by Stephen Adly Guirgis. Jesus Hopped first opened off-Broadway in November of 2000. Jesus Hopped the A Train book. Both are in protective custody and must spend their one-hour of outside time locked in individual pens. An . Nah, people doan wanna hear bout none a that! The legal procedural in the play His play Between Riverside and Crazy won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Thats astonishing, as their roles are killers in more ways than one. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train is a graphic and disturbing deep dive into prison life and faith. A good opportunity to break away from the constant repetition of intense conflicts were monologues delivered to the . One of the most striking things about Soulpepper's Jesus Hopped The 'A' Train is how multi-dimensional its main characters are. Running time: 2 hours and 20 minutes with one 20-minute interval. This is an invite-only performance limited to the local area. Beyond Therapy. Search all monologues from plays. So where is God where is good in the criminal justice system? Terell W.J. The shooting was part of Angels plan to rescue his best friend, whom the cult had stolen and brainwashed. (Arthur Williams III), an older man who shows him kindness and seeks to show him the way to Jesus's love. Collective Consciousness Theatres 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 Delossantos (Angel), Rob Giardian (DAmico), Jason Hall (Valdez), Bridget McCarthy (Mary Jane Hanrahan) & Terrence Riggins (Lucius). Perhaps the most stirring monologue of the play comes from . 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 . We see Angel meeting with his lawyer, a tightly-wound public defender with personal walls as thick as the ones at Rikers. 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. 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. Opened Oct. 23, 2017. 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. Synopsis. 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. New York playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis' star has been firmly on the rise for the last 12 years or so. If you would like to give a public performance of this monologue, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor. a panoptican effect. Jesus Hopped The "A" Train. . Toggle navigation . There are a finite number of Shakespeare monologues, so the most accessible roles for actors in their 20's tend to be overdone. New York, NY, Linda Ray The reverend subsequently, and indirectly, dies. . other. . [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. What about my victimization? He is a former co-artistic director of Labyrinth Theater Company. Perhaps it is to keep the drama from flying into pieces, therefore, that he clamps the procedural frame so firmly in place around the prisoners debates. church/ cult leader in his water buffalo-sized ass in an attempt to rescue his Guirgis has a gift for mixing the humorous and the horrific, but it doesn't always land in the writing or the production here. Inside Rikers Island, a terrified Angel is befriended by a charismatic serial killer named Lucius Jenkins. October 23, 2017. What Does Cameron Call His Style Of Rhythm?, Equity is committed to diversity and encourages all its employers to engage in a policy of equal employment opportunity designed to promote a positive model of inclusion. It's the reason I keep coming back to Collective Consciousness. Before Angel arrived, Lucius would spend this time chatting with DAmico, a kindly guard played by Rob Giardian. 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. And No memorization required. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train plays through April 21st at the SF Playhouse, 533 Sutter St, San Francisco. Free will versus actions determined by the circumstances of our existence. . and Hanrahans monologues to gain an air of a courtroom. Valdez - (30s/40s/Ltino) He is the sadistic guard assigned to Lucius at Rikers. Lucius is also a serial killer, a self-described paranoid schizophrenic who employs his charms on . 4. AE is fully committed to diversity, inclusion and equal employment opportunity. Beitrags-Autor: Beitrag verffentlicht: Juni 10, 2022 Beitrags-Kategorie: cha am beach, phetchaburi cha am beach, phetchaburi It allows Lucius' evangelism to soar and Hanrahan's monologues to gain an air of a courtroom. . The burdens of the outside world are crushing, and in the little time these two share outdoors in their separate cages shows the strain. Some prisoners go out of their minds when confined to the 23-hour isolation wing of Rikers Island prison. 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 . He has a great, effective monologue at the end about the death of Lucius that is sublime. Angel Cruz - (20s /Latino) A young man Incarcerated at Rikers Island Prison. . Be the first one to, Advanced embedding details, examples, and help, Prisons -- New York (State) -- New York -- Drama, urn:lcp:jesushoppedatrai0000guir_y8m1:lcpdf:c385346e-d259-4dec-814e-689ba64dc1b7, urn:lcp:jesushoppedatrai0000guir_y8m1:epub:4d85c109-bfbb-49e0-ade3-a74c2a2e37c1, Terms of Service (last updated 12/31/2014). idea of performance. clean in its execution, and one which gives the illusion (conversely) of space, [12][13] However, Pamela Renner reviewed the premiere unfavorably in Variety, with most praise reserved for Ron Cephas Jones. Gathegi. -+ Ravi Ghosh . Jesus Hopped the A Train Barbara and Scott Siegel New York City December 26, 2000 John Ortiz is Angel Cruz in Jesus Hopped The A Train (Photo: Jamie Mullians) Stephen Adly Guirgis, whose In Arabia,. "Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train" bristles with anger, fear and inescapable sadness. The play was produced in London at the Donmar Warehouse in 2002. 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 . Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train revels in these complexities. A long traverse stage, no more than two [9][10] Previews started two days late, on October 5, due to Reg E. Cathey leaving the company suddenly to be replaced by Mr. 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. The first, Charlie D'Amico (Erick Betancourt), is soon fired for doing a variety of favors for Lucius. Lucius, despite Taylor's fearsome performance, remains a bit of a conundrum, as captured in a beguiling late-in-the-play monologue from D'Amico (Zach Bloomfield), a guard who loses his job for . Father Flynn. 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. Although some of its pungent dialogue verges on debate and a few monologues seem too on the nose, Stephen Adly Guirgis off-Broadway drama ultimately transcends ideology to offer a poignant portrait of human fallibility and good intentions gone astray. At the opening of the play, he is in his second night of incarceration, awaiting trial for shooting the leader of that cult in the "ass." He is on his knees, alone and terrified, trying to say a prayer he no . . Isaac. The latter shot a Korean minister (apparently modeled after the Rev. New York, NY, Ages 12-17: Camp Broadway Ensemble @ Carnegie Hall Playing the charismatic older convict, Lucius a self-proclaimed child of god who has killed six people Jones is a live coal onstage. 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. benchmade adamas exclusive; disney plus march 2022 releases; It starred Edi Gathegi, Sean Carvajal, Ricardo Chavira, Stephanie DiMaggio, and Erick Betancourt. Four glass 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.). one hour of sunlight a day and he has all of the, Adly Guirgis raises questions Hes angry, lonely, frustrated and struggling with his faith/spirituality. rikers island prison, new york, present day, Ages 12-17: Camp Broadway Ensemble @ Carnegie Hall. Added to the mix are Lucius Jenkins, a serial killer turned born-again Christian, and Valdez, a sadistic corrections officer. Doubt. Theres much about 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. 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. Jesus Hopped the A Train tells the story of several inmates of Rikers Prison who are awaiting charges for murder. For one hour each day both men share adjacent cages on Rikers Island. 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. Start: Hail MaryHail MaryHail Mary Ages 12-17: Camp Broadway Ensemble @ Carnegie Hall. 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. Short North Stage will stream Jesus Hopped the A Train through June 27.Tickets cost $15. Angel Cruz is a 30-year-old bicycle messenger awaiting trial for the death of the leader of a religious cult. This slight flaw in the writing is exacerbated by a few awkward directorial choices, including a Law & Order-like chung-chung sound effect between scenes. Why is it significant to the play? . Angel's desperate desire for assurance and forgiveness make him, in a weird way, immediately lovable. Gender: Male. The play takes place in a prison on Rikers Island in New York. He projects a grooviness turned dry and brittle, making each. 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. Pirie has a resume of fine acting longer than Lucius' rap sheet, and it shows. A sociopathic serial killer awaiting extradition to Florida, Lucius pauses from his workouts only to chain smoke and to "save" Angel. It is freighted by an overload of pseudo-profundity; characters upbraiding each other about the Ultimate Questions can make for rather dreary stagecraft. Rabbit Hole. Capture a web page as it appears now for use as a trusted citation in the future. One has been serving his sentence for years, but his discovery of God helps him find joy in his days. Lucius is a serial . Jenkins, a born again Christian and cold blooded killer. Stuart. 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. Explore, Explain, and argue. In 2017 Jesus Hopped the A Train seems to ask whether justice, and even God, is possible in an unjust society. Rehearsals and performances held indoors at Actors Express. . 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. But after DAmico is canned for slipping Lucius contraband cookies, hes left without an audience. Packed densely into a bullet-fast script, a barrage of . Read 26 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Angel holds out that he was justified and his lawyer's sure that a hearts-and-minds appeal will get him off at trial. . Im juss a Black Plague! Photo: Tristram Kenton. isolation yards in Rikers Island Prison. A lot of what we hear from the lawyer is in the form of direct address, and these monologues lack the poetry (brute or not) of the rest. Call 614-725-4042 or visitshortnorthstage.org. By Jesse Green. In fact . House of Actors is proud to present "Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train". 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. Angel, who has just shot the leader of a religious cult, gloomily awaits the results of his trial, all the while insisting to himself that the shooting was entirely justified because of the cult's. Oct. 23, 2017. Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train does not offer a clear verdict, even while it implicitly criticises the judicial and penal systems of America. 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.