Cultural references, intimate monologues intensify play
Are you really ushered into a City of Purgatory where it is decided whether you deserve to enter Heaven?
"The Last Days" tells the story of Judas Iscariot, but not as many would recount it. We find the deceased daughter of a gypsy and a priest, Fabiana Cunningham, played by Mary Tilden, a third-year theatre student, arguing vehemently with Yusef El-Fayoumy, played by Sam Traquina, a fourth-year theatre student, in defense of a comatose Judas trapped in hell. She does this without the consent or denial of Judas himself but with the support of Saint Monica, played by Ashli Burnell, a third-year theatre student.
Through a variety of flashbacks and recordings, the entire production is a court case, set in contemporary times. Dropping names like 2 Pac, Barack Obama and Olive Garden, the script and accompanying message is relevant to present times and, in some respects, life in general.
"Don't choices have like consequences?" asked Judas, played by Jake Mesches, a third-year theatre student.
"God understands," answered Satan, seemingly blowing him off in the last scene of the first act of the two act production.
The scene, which happens to be a favorite of production director Daniel Bumgardner, occurs in a bar and speaks to free will.
"We do things of our own volition because we are allowed to do them," Bumgardner explained. "We absolve ourselves of our sin before others absolve us of sin."
Bumgardner, a fourth-year theatre student , picked up the script for "The Last Days" about a year before staging the production. It took reading and visiting New York, where Guirgis wrote the play, for Bumgardner to show his work.
"I'm enthralled with language and playwrights who can bring language to action in such a visceral way," Bumgardner said.
The production certainly was visceral. In spite of a few stumbles in line delivery, Tilden seemed genuinely frustrated in her tete-a-tete with Satan, played by William Vaughan, a second-year theatre student. The stumbles actually served her well as her frustration was contrasted by Vaughan's calm and well-delivered responses.
The entire production was dedicated and intimate. Waxing monologues served to engage the audience in an already quaint venue.
"The Last Days of Judas Iscariot" was a humorous and powerfully relevant production that left viewers questioning their own beliefs.