THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT Debuts At Road Less Traveled 4/22

Road Less Traveled Productions unveils its WNY premiere production of Stephen Adly Guirgis' The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot on Friday, April 22, 2011. Guirgis, who is RLTP's 2011 American Theatre Master, will appear in person at the Road Less Traveled Theater on Saturday, May 14th to help celebrate RLTP's 2011 Spring Gala. Tony Award nominated actor Stephen McKinley Henderson, who starred in the 2005 Off-Broadway world premiere of the play, will also appear at the May 14th Gala, as well as at a special event, An Evening With Stephen McKinley Henderson, at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery on Saturday, April 30th.

The play, The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot, finds history's most notorious traitor, Judas Iscariot, in hell, where he awaits his final judgment; meanwhile, historical and Biblical figures alike - Jesus Christ, Mary Magdalene, Pontius Pilate, Caiaphas the Elder, Mother Theresa, Sigmund Freud, and Satan, among others - testify in a court of cosmic law to determine his fate. The play runs through Sunday, May 22nd. It stars a diverse ensemble cast of local actors including Matt Witten in the title role, RLTP Resident Actress Lisa Vitrano, Brian Riggs, Jay Pichardo, David Oliver, Jim Maloy, Rolando Gomez, Philip Davis, David Hayes, Adrienne Lewis, Victoria Perez, Kristen Tripp Kelley, Verneice Turner, and Barry Williams. RLTP Executive and Artistic Director Scott Behrend helms the production.

"The Last Days of Judas Iscariot is a thought-provoking, profound, and sometimes hilariously funny piece of drama," said Behrend, "but its true power, when performed, is in its potential to be a galvanizing evening of theatre." Behrend indicated the large, multi-cultural cast will be playing an array of characters who "reflect recognizable cultural figures as interpreted through a modern, urbane perspective." All of the characters "speak and act as they would if you were to meet them today, on the street," said Behrend.

The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot premiered Off-Broadway in 2005 in a production directed by Phillip Seymour Hoffman and starring Sam Rockwell, Eric Bogosian, and WNY natives Stephen McKinley Henderson and Jeffrey DeMunn. The development and rehearsal process of the original run was chronicled in A Jesuit Off-Broadway, a well-received book by the production's religious consultant, Father James Martin. Behrend says he used the book as a guide to approaching the play, and has also been working closely with local religious leaders to make sure the play's themes are represented honestly and accurately.

Behrend explained, "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot explores themes of perennial relevance - guilt, spirituality, redemption - in a way that is instantly relatable to contemporary audiences. The text is tough, uncompromising... but reverent and very serious about exploring issues of faith."

On Saturday, April 30th, actor Stephen McKinley Henderson (nominated for a Tony Award for last year's Broadway revival of August Wilson's Fences, also starring Denzel Washington) will appear in Buffalo at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery for an in-depth interview with RLTP Literary Director Jon Elston as well as a question-and-answer session with the audience. Henderson will also reprise the role of Pontius Pilate, which he originated in the world-premiere production, in a reading of excerpts of the play.

On the afternoon of May 14th, playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis will discuss his career and the art of drama with area students and participating playwrights from the RLTP's Emanuel Fried New Play Workshop at the Road Less Traveled Theater. Along with actor Henderson, Guirgis will then be RLTP's guest at the evening's performance of The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot, at the Road Less Traveled Theater, as well as at the 2011 Spring Gala reception to follow, at Shea's Intermission Lounge.

Mr. Guirgis is RLTP's fourth American Theatre Master. Past American Theatre Masters include Eric Bogosian, James Rebhorn, and, in 2010, three-time Pulitzer Prize winner Edward Albee. Mr. Guirgis' plays include Jesus Hopped The "A" Train, In Arabia We'd All Be Kings, The Little Flower Of East Orange,Our Lady Of 121st Street,Den Of Thieves (performed as a staged reading by RLTP in 2010),and the current Broadway hit The Motherf*cker With The Hat, starring Chris Rock.

The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot will run Friday, April 22nd through Sunday, May 22nd at the Road Less Traveled Theater, located in the Market Arcade Film & Arts Centre in the Downtown Buffalo Theatre District. More information about performances and about the April 30th and May 14th special events is available at www.roadlesstraveledproductions.org or by phone at (716) 620-3069. Tickets to the April 30th Albright-Knox event and to the May 14th Spring Gala performance and reception also are available for purchase by phone at (800) 745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

About Road Less Traveled Productions

Road Less Traveled Productions (RLTP) is a professional theatre company founded by Scott Behrend and Jon Elston. RLTP is dedicated to the development and production of new theatrical works by Western New York playwrights as well as to presentations of esteemed modern dramas of outstanding literary merit. The Road Less Traveled Theater is located at 639 Main Street in the Market Arcade Film & Arts Centre in the Downtown Buffalo Theatre District. Parking is available in the secure parking lot across from the Washington Street entrance of the Market Arcade Film & Arts Centre. Valid parking stubs will be refunded at the box office. For more information about RLTP as well as performance and ticketing information, visit www.roadlesstraveledproductions.org or call (716) 629-3069. RLTP's work is made possible through public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.

 

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