Forum's next production is The Last Days of Judas Iscariot by Stephen Adly Guirgis (April 13--May 4, 2008). As we start our design meetings, first reads, and production research, I wanted to start passing on some pre-show info and insight that's going into our production.
Our research has begun, obviously, with some good 'ok Bible reading (memories of Bible Camp have been flooding back in droves lately), but we've been lucky to find this other book that has become quite invaluable to our studies. A Jesuit Off-Broadway was published a few months ago and is a sort-of production diary for the original production of Last Days. The text was written by James Martin, a Jesuit priest, and follows the Philip Seymour Hoffman-directed production at the Public Theatre with the LAByrinth Theatre Company. Martin served as the "theological adviser" to the production and gives some really interesting insight, not only into the production, but into the religious issues and debates brought up in the script.
If you are looking for some more winter reading, I recommend checking this book out before you come see our production. We'll be using some of the ideas brought up in this book for our post-show talks, so join us in our research and then come and join the dialogue in April.
