Capital Stage Presents JESUS HOPPED THE 'A' TRAIN, Previews Begin 4/29

As a home for Sacramento area theatrical premieres, Capital Stage continues this mission with Stephen Adly Guirgis' Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train in performance April 29 through May 22 at the Delta King Theatre. The play mixes searing and visceral drama with dark comedy as it explores timeless yet contemporary themes of guilt and innocence, judgment and desperation, and the true nature of redemption - the path of which is not always as clean and clear as we would hope.

Performances for Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train will begin with five previews on Friday, April 29 at 8pm; Saturday, April 30 at 7pm; Sunday, May 1 at 2pm; Wednesday, May 4 at 7pm; and Thursday, May 5 at 8pm and will open on Friday, May 6 at 8pm. Performances continue through May 22, 2011. Showtimes will be Wednesdays at 7pm, Thursdays and Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 7pm and Sundays at 2pm. Tickets range from $26-$33. Discount tickets are available as follows: Preview Tickets are $15; Student Rush Tickets are $12; Senior Sunday Matinee Tickets are $22; and Group Rates are available for parties of 12 or more. Tickets are currently available at the Capital Stage Box Office, by phone at 916-995-5464 or online at www.capstage.org. The Pilothouse Restaurant offers a specially priced $29 three-course dinner for theatre patrons. Pilothouse reservations can be made through the box office.

THE PLAY
Angel Cruz is a thirty-year-old bike messenger from NYC who is incarcerated and awaiting trial for shooting a cult leader. Very nearly disillusioned public defender Mary Jane Hanrahan is persuaded to champion Angel's cause by his heartfelt, convincing arguments. Beaten regularly by the other inmates, Angel is transferred to a special twenty-three-hour lockdown wing of protective custody. For one hour a day, Angel experiences daylight from a cage on the Riker's Island Prison roof. His only source of human contact is the lone inmate who is also in protective custody. Lucius Jenkins, a.k.a. "the Black Plague," works out furiously in the cage next to Angel. A sociopathic serial killer awaiting extradition to Florida, Lucius pauses from his workouts only to "save" Angel. Lucius Jenkins has found God, and Angel's life and the course of his trial will be changed forever.

THE PLAYWRIGHT
Stephen Adly Guirgis is a longtime member of NYC's LAByrinth Theater Company. His plays have been produced on five continents and throughout the United States. Directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train was originally produced by LAByrinth Theatre on July 2000. It won the Edinburgh Festival Fringe First Award and received a Laurence Olivier Nomination for London's Best New Play. In 2008, Guirgis' play The Little Flower of East Orange, starring Ellen Burstyn and also directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman, performed with an extended run at The Public Theater. His other plays include Our Lady of 121st Street (10 best plays of 2003; Lucille Lortel, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Best Play Nominations), In Arabia, We'd All Be Kings (2007 LA Drama Critics Best Play, Best Writing Award), and The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (10 best, Time magazine and Entertainment Weekly), produced by LAByrinth in collaboration with The Public Theater in 2005. Guirgis' one act play, Dominica The Fat Ugly Ho, was directed by Adam Rapp as part of the 2006 E.S.T. Marathon. His newest play, The Motherf**ker With the Hat has just premiered on Broadway this month and features Bobby Cannavale and Chris Rock. Guirgis was awarded a 2004 TCG fellowship, attended the 2004 Sundance Screenwriter's Lab, was named one of the 25 New Faces of Independent Film by FILMAKER MAGAZINE, and appeared in Entertainment Weekly's 2005 Summer Must List. He has received new play commissions from Manhattan Theater Club and South Coast Rep, is a member of New Dramatists and the MCC Playwright's Coalition, and is a regular contributor to ESOPUS Magazine. Television writing credits include "NYPD Blue", "The Sopranos", David Milch's CBS drama "Big Apple", and Shane Salerno's NBC drama "UC: Undercover". He lives in New York City. He is writing a screenplay based on the life of six-time world champion boxer Emile Griffith for Scott Rudin Productions.

THE PRODUCTION MEMBERS
Jesus Hopped the 'A' Trainwill feature returning favorite Adrian Roberts (First Person Shooter) as Lucius Jenkins. Additionally, new to Capital Stage with this show will be Eric Aviles as Angel Cruz, Rodrigo Breton as Valdez, Jeremey Oase as D'Amico and Amy Prosser as Mary Jane Hanrahan. Capital Stage Founding Artistic Director Stephanie Gularte (Someone Who'll Watch Over Me, Speech & Debate, The Scene) will direct the production. The creative team will include Steve Decker (scenic design), Nancy Pipkin (costume design), Glenn Fox (lighting design) and Jonathan Williams (sound design).

Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train contains very strong language.

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