Greathouse understands this and took the opportunity to grab our attention early on and set the tone that we should be sympathetic to Judas and his fate.įabiana Aziza Cunningham, played by Ana Lemke, is an agnostic defense attorney who obtains a writ from Saint Peter, played by Jenna Hawkins to appeal Judas’ condemnation. Henrietta does not have much stage time she would come back for a few moments later in the play so if it was not for this moment the character would be somewhat unmemorable. Greathouse delivered this well and effectively conveyed the emotion that a grieving mother would have. I tell the world the one true thing I know: If my son is in hell, then there is no heaven – because if my son sits in hell, there is no God.” The show started a few minutes early so I only caught these last few sentences of this monologue. She says: “ The world tells me that God is in heaven and my son is in hell. Henrietta Iscariot and mother of Judas, played by Tiffany Greathouse introduces us to her thoughts on hell and her son’s apparent fate. Although the Catholic Church has never declared that Judas is in hell for these acts many Christians believe that he must be, which takes us to the opening dialogue of the play. It is believed that soon after Judas’ betrayal he committed suicide by hanging, out of guilt and remorse. His name is synonymous with Benedict Arnold and often used as a label to accuse someone of betrayal. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus by aiding in his capture and delivery to the Sanhedrin priests in exchange for a payment of 30 silver coins (about what an average citizen could earn in 16 weeks at that time). Most of us should be familiar with this story from the New Testament Judas was one of the twelve original apostles of Jesus.
The case is God and the Kingdom of Heaven and Earth vs. Stephen Adly Guirgis’ “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot” takes place in a present day courtroom in a corner of Purgatory called Hope.