Eric Bogosian Is The Devil in Upcoming The Last Days of Judas Iscariot

By Ernio Hernandez
01 Nov 2004

Eric Bogosian
Eric Bogosian
Photo by Paula Cort

Playwright and sometime actor Eric Bogosian will star as The Devil in the upcoming world premiere of Stephen Adly Guirgis' The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, directed Off-Broadway by Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Bogosian joins Sam Rockwell — the actor who starred as Chuck Barris in the film "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" — who takes on the title role in the cast of the Labyrinth Theatre Company staging presented in collaboration with The Public Theater. Previews begin at The Public Feb. 8, 2005.

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.

Bogosian is known for his plays Talk Radio and subUrbia. As a performer, he appeared in his one-man works Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll, Pounding Nails in the Floor With My Forehead, Drinking in America and Wake Up and Smell the Coffee. The scribe can also be seen in the films "Wonderland," "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle," "Igby Goes Down" and "Deconstructing Harry."

Bogosian and Rockwell (who starred in the December 2003 Barn Series reading of the work) will be among a cast that also features LAB regulars Chris McGarry, Mums and Portia. The latter two single-named performers also appeared in the reading.

Among the characters that filled the 2003 reading included the accused Judas (Rockwell), his mother (Living Out star Liza Colon Zayas), his Irish lawyer (Elizabeth Canavan), childhood friend (Mums), opposing Middle Eastern counsel with a lisp (Yul Vasquez of The Stendhal Syndrome, "Seinfeld"), Court of Hope judge (Richard Petrocelli of Our Lady of 121st Street), a feistily persistent saint (Elizabeth Rodriguez), an angel (Portia - Our Lady), 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.

For more information on LAByrinth Theater Company, visit www.labtheater.org .