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"A
great drama filled with tough talk, plenty of
thought provoking dialogue, and enchanting
true grit. Get a ticket and have a treat."
Suburban
Journals of Chicago Inc.
Village Players Performing Arts Center
presents
"Jesus Hopped
The A-Train"
a drama by Stephen Adly Guirgis
June 11 - June 21, 2009
review
by Ed Vincent
Village Players of Oak Park has a
done a wonderful job of bringing this existential journey into your
life where each day we find crime, god, and hate sprinkled in the
news. The play will travel from the reaches of dispair and
angst to a torment of the times, with pauses of reflection, just
enough to keep you lovers of Kafka happy. Homicidal evangelical
Christians may find a hero in Ryan Robertson's performance of Lucius,
and if you like heroin, so much the better.
The characters are far from dull and
the acting is supurb. The lighting and the sets are minimal and
the feel is tremendous. This is a top notched show in all regards
and will insure your post show discussions should skirt the
banal.
Valdez explains
the U.S. Constitution to Lucius and trys to halt the mass murderers'
redemption.
© Suburban Journals
of Chicago Inc. photos
Tough talk,
legal maneuverings, faith in God, a little of Waiting for Godot thrown
in, and perhaps some salvation of something in the end.
© Suburban Journals
of Chicago Inc. photos
The strong language might keep the kids
home, but the way things sound on the streets today, it might not make
a difference. Ryan Robertson as Lucius is phenomenal in his
portrayal of the psychopathic self-proclaimed preacher. His
sidekick in the hell of jail is James Fouhey as Angel, a troubled youth
with a tormented heart. Joel Rosal, playing the part of jailer
Valdez is a terror of black and white rules, but you won't need to
worry about how he feels--he'll let you know. C. Sean Piereman as
D'Amico is the hope for a better tomorrow perhaps in his faith of the
spirit perhaps. Kristen Secrist as MaryJane brings hope and some
nice legs to the dim environment of lost hopes and professional
betrayals.
This is a play that
will not want to miss, bring a friend and get ready for a spellbinding
theatrical thrill.
Oak Park, IL— The provocative Jesus
Hopped The 'A' Train opens June 11,
2009 at the Village Players Theatre.
Two inmates are in protective custody on Rikers Island. One is a serial
killer who awaits extradition for execution; the other awaits trial for
a crime he believes wasn’t a crime. One has found God, the other
needs
to find himself.
Jesus Hopped The 'A' Train is about what we truly believe to be right.
It’s about contradiction and hypocrisy. It’s about faith, morality and
the essential nature of what it is to be human.
The CAST
Ryan
Robertson as Lucius
James
Fouhey as Angel
Joel
Rosal as Valdez
C.
Sean Piereman as D'Amico
Kristen
Secrist
as MaryJane
Production Staff
Director
Jason Fleece
Stage
Manager
Michelle Springer
Jesus Hopped The 'A' Train runs June 11- 21, 2009, Thursday- Sunday.
Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30PM and Sundays at 2:30PM.
Tickets are $20 for general admission.
Presented in the BlackBox Theatre of the Village Players Performing
Arts Center, located at 1010 Madison St., Oak Park. Plenty of
parking is
available on the street. The theater is handicap
accessible; please call ahead to
arrange for special seating. More information is available at
www.village-players.org or 866-764-1010.
Village Players Performing Arts Center offers an eclectic mix of
entertainment that empowers and inspires while exploring the human
condition.
 ©
Suburban Journals
of Chicago Inc. photos
The Black Box Theater
2008 - 2009
Village
Players Theatre's Black Box performance space offers audiences
a more
intense, more intimate connection to performances where Village Players
company members and our guest artists can take their art to the edge.
Join us for an exciting menu of art best experienced up close.
Jesus Hopped the A-Train
a drama by
Stephen Adly Guirgis
June 11 - June 21, 2009
Two
inmates are in protective custody on Rikers Island. One is a serial
killer who awaits extradition for execution, the other awaits trial for
a crime he believes wasn’t a crime. One has found God, the other needs
to find himself.
Jesus
Hopped The 'A' Train
is about what we truly believe to be right. It’s about contradiction
and hypocrisy. It’s about faith, morality and the essential nature of
what it is to be human.
Purchase
Tickets for Jesus Hopped The 'A' Train
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