Philip Seymour Hoffman (Our Lady of 121st Street) directs the Labyrinth Theatre Company staging presented in collaboration with The Public Theater. Previews begin at The Public Feb. 8, 2005.
Colón-Zayas (Living Out), DeMunn (K2, "The Green Mile"), Gottesman (Where's My Money?), Rodriguez (Robbers) and Vazquez (The Stendhal Syndrome, "Seinfeld") join the cast that features Sam Rockwell ("Confessions of a Dangerous Mind") in the title role and Eric Bogosian (Talk Radio) as the Devil.
The Last Days follows the story, set mainly in a near-Purgatory courtroom, in which a lawyer appeals the case of God and the Kingdom of Heaven vs. Judas Iscariot.
LAB regulars Chris McGarry and Mums are also slated to appear in the work. Actress Portia (Our Lady of 121st Street) has withdrawn from the production.
A December 2003 Barn Series reading of the work included the such characters as the accused Judas (Rockwell), his mother (Colon-Zayas), his Irish lawyer (Elizabeth Canavan), childhood friend (Mums), opposing Middle Eastern counsel with a lisp (Vasquez), Court of Hope judge (Richard Petrocelli of Our Lady of 121st Street), a feistily persistent saint (Rodriguez), an angel (Portia), Pontius Pilate (Ron Cephas Jones - Our Lady), Jesus (Michael Pitt of "The Dreamers") and a laid back Devil (playwright John Patrick Shanley). Longtime LAByrinth patriot Guirgis also penned Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train; In Arabia, We'd All Be Kings and Our Lady of 121st Street, all directed by Hoffman.
Hoffman is best known as a stage and film actor ("Boogie Nights" and True West among his popular portrayals). He was nominated for his recent turn on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning revival of Long Day's Journey Into Night. Hoffman serves as co-artistic director of LAByrinth Theater Company with actor John Ortiz.
Tickets for The Last Days of Judas Iscariot go on sale January 14, 2005. For more information on LAByrinth Theater Company, visit www.labtheater.org.