Church Sex Scandal Drama Sin (A Cardinal Deposed), with John Cullum, Opens Off-Broadway

By Ernio Hernandez
26 Oct 2004

Boston's Cardinal Bernard Law is called to testify about the church sex scandal in The New Group's staging of Sin (A Cardinal Deposed), opening Oct. 26.



Broadway veteran John Cullum stars as Law under the direction of Carl Forsman in the work which began performances Oct. 11 at the Clurman Theatre for a run through Dec. 4.

Playwright Michael Murphy's documentary theatre-style Sin tells the tale of Cardinal Law, who was called to testify against two priests who were accused of sexual abuse. The play uses text from actual testimony and words of other priests, victims and parents involved in the trials. Sin made its premiere at Chicago's Bailiwick Repertory Company March 1, 2004.The troupe sent a staging to the show's setting of Boston in spring. David Zak staged the original production.

Dan Daily, Cynthia Darlow, Thomas Jay Ryan, Pablo T. Schreiber and John Leonard Thompson are also feature in the ensemble alongside Cullum.

The design team of Sin features Nathan Heverin (sets), Theresa Squire (costumes), Josh Bradford (lighting) and Samuel Doerr (sound). Stephen Gabis is the dialect coach and Valerie A. Peterson serves as production stage manager.

Cullum is a Broadway veteran of such shows as Shenandoah and On the Twentieth Century — both of which garnered him Tony Awards. His recent turn in the musical Urinetown also earned him a Tony nomination. Other credits include Camelot, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Boys in Autumn, Hamlet, 1776, All My Sons, Show Boat and Old Money. Cullum recently starred opposite his son JD Cullum in Ronald Harwood's The Dresser for his hometown Knoxville, Tennessee's Clarence Brown Theatre Company.

The upcoming New Group season will also include a revival of David Rabe's Hurlyburly directed by New Group artistic director Scott Elliott (Aunt Dan and Lemon) and the American premiere of Terrorism co-presented with The Play Company. James Lapine (Into The Woods, Fran's Bed) will direct the Sascha Dugdale translation of the work by the Vladimir and Oleg Presnyakov.

Tickets to Sin (A Cardinal Deposed) at the Clurman Theatre, 410 West 42 St., are available by calling (212) 279-4200. For more information on The New Group, visit www.thenewgroup.org.