STAGE TUBE: Team StarKid Members Launch JUDAS REDUX Kickstarter Campaign

Julia Albain and Corey Lubowich (of Team StarKid fame) have announced a Kickstarter campaign for Judas Redux, a project that will include extensive behind-the-scenes content and a new production of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot by Stephen Adly Guirgis, directed by Julia Albain, and featuring Lauren Lopez, Joey Richter and BrIan Rosenthal. If the goal of $36,000 is met, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot will be presented at Stage 773, 1225 West Belmont in Chicago, for 18 performances, August 23 - September 8, 2013. Watch Julia, Corey, Lauren, Joey and Brian talk about the new project below!

The team will also be hosting a livestream on www.judasredux.com to address fan questions tonight at 8:30 p.m. CST.

Judas Redux is an experiment in pulling back the curtain on how shows are created and produced by independent artists. Starting with the launch of the Kickstarter campaign through closing night, the group will document the entire process of mounting a production of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot and open it up for both the community and online audiences to follow and participate in. Updates will include pictures, videos, blogs, and more.

The Last Days of Judas Iscariot tells the story of a court case over the ultimate fate of Judas Iscariot. Set in a time-bending, darkly comic world between heaven and hell, the play reexamines the plight and fate of the New Testament's most infamous and unexplained sinner. The play uses flashbacks to an imagined childhood, and lawyers who call for the testimonies of such witnesses as Mother Teresa, Caiaphas, Saint Monica, Sigmund Freud, and Satan. The original 2005 Off-Broadway production was directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman, and featured Eric Bogosian as Satan and Sam Rockwell as Judas Iscariot.

"This is a show I have been talking about doing for almost five years, and the timing just felt right," said Director and Executive Producer Julia Albain. "Many of us were ready to return to the roots of our training and see how we have changed as artists. I wanted to give some of these incredible actors a chance to showcase themselves in a different light."

"I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to open up our creative process with Judas to a larger community," said Scenic Designer and Executive Producer Corey Lubowich. "We've always wanted to explore new avenues in engaging our audience both online and off, and now it seems like the perfect time with this project."

The cast of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot will include Lauren Lopez, Joey Richter, and BrIan Rosenthal, who are also acting as producers for the production. Additional cast members will hail from both coasts, as well as the Chicago community. Throughout the run there will also be surprise guest stars from both stage and screen. The creative team will include frequent StarKid collaborators Director and Executive Producer Julia Albain (The SPACE Tour, Apocalyptour), Scenic Designer and Executive Producer Corey Lubowich (Starship, Holy Musical B@man!, Airport for Birds), Lighting Designer Sarah Petty (Starship, Holy Musical B@man!) and Costume Designer June Saito (Starship, Holy Musical B@man!, plus The Other Cinderella and From Doo Wop to Hip Hop at Black Ensemble). Other cast and creatives, including a composer of original music, to be announced.

Albain first directed The Last Days of Judas Iscariot through the University of Michigan's Basement Arts in 2008. That production included StarKid fan favorites Lauren Lopez, Joey Richter, BrIan Rosenthal, and Darren Criss, who went on to star on the FOX hit "Glee" and the recent Broadway revival of How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying. Judas Iscariot also marked one of the first (and last) times the group worked together before Team StarKid's A Very Potter Musical took the internet by storm. The overwhelming fan response spawned StarKid Productions and the popular parody musicals A Very Potter Sequel, Starship, and Holy Musical B@man!, as well as two sold-out national tours (directed by Julia Albain), and an engagement at Second City (directed by Corey Lubowich).

If the Kickstarter goal is met, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot will be presented at Stage 773, 1225 West Belmont in Chicago, for 18 performances, August 23 - September 8, 2013. Individual tickets will go on sale at a later date.

To post a comment, you must register and login.