THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT
At The Cultch until April 21 Tickets: 604-251-1363, thecultch.com
One would think there was little hope for Judas Iscariot who's right up there with Hitler, Idi Amin and Pol Pot in public opinion. But American playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis puts a new spin on the old story. As Jesus (Todd Thomson) says in the play, he loves us all-Judas (Bob Frazer) most of all.
Guirgis uses a courtroom setup for his exploration of betrayal and redemption: God in the Kingdom of Heaven versus Judas Iscariot. What's at stake is whether Judas goes to Heaven or Hell. Arguing for the defense is passionate Fabiana Aziza Cunningham (Katharine Venour); for the prosecution is oily Yusef El-Fayoumy (Marcus Youssef).
Guirgis writes the most crackling dialogue this side of David Mamet. It's so shockingly coarse at times-Satan's comment regarding Job, for example-you're embarrassed to be caught laughing. Act 1 is a dazzler of one-liners, acid wit, gutter language and interesting argument.
But there's a big sag in the middle-no fault of Stephen Drover (directing for Pound of Flesh Theatre as part of Rumble Theatre's Tremors Festival) or this star-studded cast. The ensemble of 14 reads like a who's who in Vancouver showbiz including Anthony F. Ingram (as a self-assured Freud), Dawn Petten (a demented, KitKat-gobbling Mother Teresa), Marci T. House (hottie Saint Monica) and Kevin McNulty (nasty Judge Littlefield).
But we all love a villain and Michael Kopsa, as Satan, is so evil, he's fantastic. Kopsa is cocksure, suave, sexy and every minute he's on stage it's dynamite time with f-bombs exploding all over Drew Facey's stage.
Guirgis takes three hours to spin the tale, and The Last Days would be a better play if it were more compact. It's scandalously funny although I think the playwright's obvious desire to shock us obscures his serious message, which seems to be a simple one of forgiveness. -Jo Ledingham
Ubuntu (The Cape Town Project)
At the Firehall Arts Centre until April 21 Tickets: 604-689-0926, firehallartscentre.ca
Ubuntu has a huge heart that beats to the rhythms of South Africa. At the same time, it's as Canadian as the University of Toronto where much of the action takes place.
Theatrefront, the Toronto-based company that created Ubuntu, not only walks the walk, it crosses borders to co-produce world theatre that speaks as much to our human similarities as to our differences. The word "ubuntu" refers to the spirit of community, and the show is the result of four workshops in two countries (Canada and South Africa) over four years with more than 20 different participating artists.
In Ubuntu, Jabba (Andile Nebulane) arrives in Toronto from Cape Town on a quest to find the father that abandoned him 20 years ago. All Jabba has is an old Polaroid photo that his father Philani (Mbulelo Grootboom) sent to him along with money for his support. Also in the photo is Dr. Michael Reid (Eric Goulem), Philani's microbiology professor.
Flash back 20 years to Philani's arrival in Canada and his relationship with shy ornithology student Sarah (Tracey Power). But the tugs of home plus Dr. Reid's condescending attitude to South African healing practices-which include prescribing snake bladders for strength- are hard pills for Philani to swallow.
Mystery after mystery is uncovered with the help of Dr. Reid's rebellious daughter Libby (Stacie Steadman).
A Western Canada Theatre/Theatrefront production, Ubuntu is artfully presented. The lovers are sweetly crafted by Power and Grootboom, and the flashbacks to Cape Town are exotic. Heart-wrenching and uplifting, Ubuntu is an inventive and sensitive presentation of immigrant experience.
JL joled@telus.net
