"Stage of Fools has assembled a cast capable of both owning this dialogue and drawing maximum effect from minimal physicality.
Kate Zehr gets maybe the toughest assignment as the defense attorney who sets the story in motion...Zehr pulls it off with a controlled, compelling performance that leavens the outsized characters surrounding her.
The biggest of those is, unsurprisingly, Satan, played by Corey Boe as a swaggering, charming bro who’s as volatile in private as he is magnetic in public...Boe gives Lucifer a grounded grace that lets us believe him when he says he’s not the real bad guy here.
That theme keeps coming back throughout the show: nobody’s the real bad guy, not Gregory Adam’s smarmy, obsequious prosecutor; not Jonathan Dull’s thundering, racist alpha male Pontius Pilate; not Kayla Cooper’s timorous, doubtful Thomas. Maybe not even Paul LaNave’s conflicted, complicated Judas, who cuts an oddly compelling figure even as he spends most of his eponymous play slumped at the front of the stage, staring catatonically through barely opened eyes.
And certainly not Jesus, who’s pointedly given one of the play’s smaller roles. That tertiary status allows Ricardo Beaird to make the most of his stage time as a soft-spoken, sympathetic Christ who radiates calm in each brief appearance."
-Ira Brooker, Minnesota Playlist
 Jesus (Ricardo Beaird) tries to comfort Henrietta Iscariot (Kayla Cooper); Photo by Alex Goebel |  Cunningham (Kate Zehr) brings forth the case of Judas Iscariot in Purgatory, watched by the Bailiff (Jeffrey Rueter); Photo by Alex Goebel |
|---|---|
 Judge Littlefield (Tristan Tifft) denies Cunningham's (Kate Zehr) petition; Photo by Alex Goebel |  Judge Littlefield (Tristan Tifft) greets the Bailiff (Jeffrey Rueter); Photo by Alex Goebel |
 Prosecuting attorney Yusuf El-Fayoumy (Gregory Adam); Photo by Alex Goebel |  St. Monica (Stephanie Stine) gazes into Judas Iscariot's (Paul LaNave) eyes; Photo by Alex Goebel |
 St. Monica (Stephanie Stine) holds a catatonic Judas Iscariot (Paul LaNave); Photo by Alex Goebel |  Judge Littlefield (Tristan Tifft) chides Cunningham (Kate Zehr); Photo by Alex Goebel |
 Gloria (Emilie LaBonte) and Loretta (Abbey Janii) chat with the audience before the trial; Photo by Alex Goebel |  El-Fayoumy (Gregory Adam) questions Henrietta Iscariot (Kayla Cooper); Photo by Alex Goebel |
 Henrietta Iscariot (Kayla Cooper) scolds her son, Judas (Paul LaNave); Photo by Alex Goebel |  Matthias of Galilee (Erin Patrick Miller) confides in a young Judas (Paul LaNave), watched by the Ensemble; Photo by Alex Goebel |
 El-Fayoumy (Gregory Adam) attempts to communicate with a hard-of-hearing Mother Teresa (Emilie LaBonte), Photo by Alex Goebel |  The Bailiff (Jeffrey Rueter) assists Mother Teresa (Emilie LaBonte) with a hearing device; Photo by Alex Goebel |
 St. Matthew (Jonathon Dull) and St. Peter (Corey Boe) share stories during recess from the trial; Photo by Alex Goebel |  Mother Teresa (Emilie LaBonte) quotes her friend, Sister Glenna (Abbey Janii), on the subject of despair; Photo by Alex Goebel |
 Cunningham (Kate Zehr) challenges Mother Teresa (Emilie LaBonte) on the subject of abortion; Photo by Alex Goebel |  El-Fayoumy (Gregory Adam) mocks Simon the Zealot (Jeffrey Rueter); Photo by Alex Goebel |
 Cunningham (Kate Zehr) questions Simon the Zealot (Jeffrey Rueter) about Judas' intentions; Photo by Alex Goebel |  Satan (Corey Boe) and El-Fayoumy (Gregory Adam) get chummy; Photo by Alex Goebel |
 Judas (Paul LaNave) tells Satan (Corey Boe) to leave him alone, amidst a crowded bar; Photo by Alex Goebel |  Judas (Paul LaNave) becomes friendly with Satan (Corey Boe) over drinks; Photo by Alex Goebel |
 Satan (Corey Boe) observes a conflicted Judas (Paul LaNave); Photo by Alex Goebel |  St. Monica (Stephanie Stine) and her good friend, Mary Magdalene (Abbey Janii), discuss Jesus and Judas' relationship; Photo by Alex Goebel |
 Sigmund Freud (Erin Patrick Miller) takes pride in his accolades, watched by the Bailiff (Jeffrey Rueter); Photo by Alex Goebel |  Freud (Erin Patrick Miller) pauses in his response to Cunningham (Kate Zehr); Photo by Alex Goebel |
 Freud (Erin Patrick Miller) angers El-Fayoumy (Gregory Adam); Photo by Alex Goebel |  Caiaphas the Elder (Tristan Tifft) denies Cunningham's (Kate Zehr) claims; Photo by Alex Goebel |
 El-Fayoumy (Gregory Adam) flatters Caiaphas (Tristan Tifft); Photo by Alex Goebel |  St. Thomas (Kayla Cooper) shares stories of the disciples with the audience; Photo by Alex Goebel |
 Pontius Pilate (Jonathon Dull) and his soldiers (Erin Patrick Miller, Corey Boe, Stephanie Stine) interrogate Judas (Paul LaNave); Photo by Alex Goebel |  Judas (Paul LaNave) pleads for Jesus' life as Pilate's soldiers (Erin Patrick Miller, Corey Boe, Stephanie Stine) taunt him; Photo by Alex Goebel |
 Pilate (Jonathon Dull) and his soldiers (Erin Patrick Miller, Corey Boe, Stephanie Stine) laugh, throwing out a remorseful Judas (Paul LaNave); Photo by Alex Goebel |  Pilate (Jonathon Dull) deflects Cunningham's (Kate Zehr) line of questioning; Photo by Alex Goebel |
 Pilate (Jonathon Dull) salutes Caesar as he prepares to be dismissed; Photo by Alex Goebel |  Pilate (Jonathon Dull) confronts Cunningham (Kate Zehr) and her accusations; Photo by Alex Goebel |
 Pilate (Jonathon Dull) seeks to justify his actions; Photo by Alex Goebel |  Satan (Corey Boe) threatens Judge Littlefield (Tristan Tifft); Photo by Alex Goebel |
 Satan (Corey Boe) feigns a state of calm; Photo by Alex Goebel |  Satan (Corey Boe) laughs at the attorneys' frustrations; Photo by Alex Goebel |
 Jesus (Ricardo Baird) enters, sharing his message with the audience; Photo by Alex Goebel |  Judas (Paul LaNave) wonders why Jesus (Ricardo Beaird) would abandon him; Photo by Alex Goebel |
 Jesus (Ricardo Beaird) stays beside a lonely, pleading Judas (Paul LaNave) who can no longer see him; Photo by Alex Goebel |  Butch Honeywell (Erin Patrick Miller) moves to tell Judas the verdict as the ensemble watches; Photo by Alex Goebel |
 Butch (Erin Patrick Miller) tells stories of the time he met his wife; Photo by Alex Goebel |  A remorseful Butch (Erin Patrick Miller) confesses regret for his actions; Photo by Alex Goebel |
by Stephen Adly Guirgis
december 2015
THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT explores the conflict between mercy and Free Will, as the fate of history's most notorious sinner is put before a judge. However, in Purgatory, no one is safe from judgement as Mother Teresa, Pontius Pilate, Satan, and more are brought to the stand to testify. The play argues both sides and asks big questions in search of truth.
"While the play is technically more a courtroom drama than a sermon, it’s hard not to feel an extra layer of import when you’re physically immersed in a house of the religion whose roots it explores...hearing the story of Judas unfold from a dozen different angles in a setting like this was both eerily familiar and strangely incongruous. Considering that Alex Goebel’s director’s notes state that 'this play will try to convert you as much as it tries to make you question everything you know,' that effect seems right on point."
"All told, Stage of Fools has put together a fascinating piece of theater, a morality play that seldom moralizes, buoyed by a capable cast and an unlikely yet ideal venue."
-Ira Brooker, Minnesota Playlist
Featuring:
Gregory Adam, Ricardo Beaird, Corey Boe, Kayla Cooper, Jonathon Dull, Abbey Janii, Emilie LaBonte, Paul LaNave, Erin Patrick Miller, Jeffrey Rueter, Stephanie Stine, TristanTifft, Kate Zehr
directed by Alex Goebel, stage managed by
Elizabeth Morgan, costume design by
Andrea Boe
"I have been talking about it for days, and surely will not forget it"
"Incredibly satisfying"
"Beautiful work"
"An amazing production!"
"An enthralling piece of theatre...a credit to the passion and talent that came together to make it happen"
"I thoroughly enjoyed it"
-Anonymous Audience Members
"Brilliant direction, and the cast is absolutely perfect! Do whatever you can to see it"
"Interesting, thoughtful, compelling - and great performances by everyone"
"Stellar" "Beyond good" "Very moving" "Left me speechless and breathless" "Amazing"
"Passionate commitment to a bold and audacious text"
"More than just a 'collection of actors', but a 'community of kindred spirits'"
-Anonymous Audience Members
