Overview
Synopsis
The Last Days of Judas Iscariot is a hilarious, poignant, thought-provoking work by Pulitzer-prize winning playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis. Boasting a large, zany cast of characters, the play asks one of the most plaguing questions in the Christian ideology: What happened to Judas Iscariot? The facts (we think!) we know are these: Judas was the disciple of Jesus who betrayed his friend and teacher to the authorities. He is seen as the man responsible for Jesus’s death; afterwards, Judas fell into despair and hung himself from an olive tree; since then, he has been suffering for his deeds deep in Hell, and will continue to do so for all eternity. Is that really fair? Was Judas the duplicitous master of his own fate, a much-suffering pawn used for Jesus’s ends, or just a man who made a mistake? Set in a courtroom in Purgatory, The Last Days puts Judas’ case to a hilarious, riotous, piercing trial, the results of which are sure to make the inhabitants of Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory — and the audience — reconsider what each thought they knew about forgiveness, faith, and the human inside one of the history’s most infamous figures.
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Context
The Last Days of Judas Iscariot boasts twenty-three characters. It is a good script for either a large cast or medium-sized cast with actors doubling as multiple characters. The playwright does not specify a specific way in which the director must divide the parts. The original production assigned the roles as followed:
- Actor 1: Satan
- Actor 2: Gloria, Mother Theresa
- Actor 3: Judge Littlefield, Caiaphas the Elder, Saint Matthew
- Actor 4: Loretta, Mary Magdalene, Sister Glenna
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Prologue
In darkness and rain, a woman emerges. Henrietta Iscariot, mother of Biblical betrayer Judas Iscariot, approaches the audience to tell her side of the famous story. She expresses the grief a parent feels in burying her own child. In her case, she had to bury her son alone: her husband was dead, and Judas’ sisters and friends refused to attend his funeral. She recalls the surge of joy and love that filled her body when she gave birth to her son. She rounds up her case with a
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Character Portrayals
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Monologues
Key Terms
A genre that combines elements of humor and morbidity, exploring serious themes through satire or irony.
Smaller New York theatres producing innovative and experimental works, often stepping stones to Broadway.
A prestigious U.S. award for achievements in journalism, literature, and drama. Many modern plays that reflect social and political themes have received this honor.
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