One Last Supper
-Daniela Ortiz ‘21
Only at St. Mark's does high school theater bring the audience to both genuine laughter and heart-wrenching tears.
The Ending Scene of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot
From February 27th to 29th, the St. Mark's Theater Department put on its production of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, a play written by Stephen Adly Guirgis. This production marked the final performance for six seniors in the cast and also marked the SM Theater debut of Aiden Tam, ‘22, as Jesus.
Each production put on by director Christopher Kent seems to top the ambition of the previous one and this show was no exception. From the moment you set eyes on the set with its varying elevation levels, neon lighting, and grunge vibe you can feel that the show you’re about to watch is going to be something very different and special.
The Last Days of Judas Iscariot follows the trial of Judas (yes, that Judas of biblical fame/infamy) determining whether he will be damned to eternal torment or ascend to heaven. During the trial, two lawyers, also both confined to “downtown purgatory”, call on such witnesses as Mother Teresa, Sigmund Freud, and Satan. The cast is more than game for the heavy themes that appear in the show such as redemption, guilt, and forgiveness of self and others. The show never talks down to its audience and expects highschoolers and adults alike to keep up with its fast-paced journey through the afterlife while keeping tabs on the cases for Judas’ forgiveness. The first act especially is tremendously funny and brought the audience to laughter while the second act brought many in the audience close to tears with its intense performances by Tam, ‘22 and Lu ‘20, as Jesus and Judas.
Aiden Tam ‘22 and Will Lu ‘20 casted as Jesus and Judas, respectively.
As mentioned above, this show was the final star turn for several Class of 2020 St. Markers; Yiwei Lu, Illia Rebechar, Alexander Sumner, Anu Akibu, Kian Sahani, and Jack Griffin. Kian Sahani said “Theater at St. Marks really changed [his] life” and allowed him to open up more and grow in self-confidence. Alex Chen, ‘21, said of the departing students “it’s kinda sad how this is the senior’s last performance” and that there was a lot of pre- and post-show bonding between the cast. All involved ended on a wonderful note, turning in performan0ces that were nuanced, layered, and intelligent. The quiet suffering of Judas(played by Lu), the calculated cruelty and humor of Satan(played by Sumner), the great comedic beats of Saint Monica/ Mother Teresa(Akibu), the ridiculousness and arrogance of El-Fayoumi(Rebechar) and the humor and pathos of Saints Peter and Matthew(Sahani and Griffin, respectively) were all engaging to watch. However, if one fears for the future of St.Marks theater after these actors leave, they would be mistaken. The future looks bright when performances such as the ones by Sydni Williams, Kendall Sommers, and Michael Ferlisi were all given by members of the class of ‘22.
In one quote the entirety of the show seems to almost be encapsulated- “ Despair is the ultimate development of a pride so great and so stiff-necked that it selects the absolute misery of damnation rather than accept happiness . . . we are not capable of fulfilling our destiny by ourselves”. It is attributed to theologian Thomas Merton in the show and offered as words of advice to Fayoumy’s lawyer character. If only Fayoumy could look beyond his own pride he could forgive Judas as Jesus has, yet he can’t. If Judas could only forgive himself and accept being loved again, he could choose happiness for himself over purgatory. Yet, he does not. For these kids though, recognizing something greater than themselves and working together to that end is not a problem. For all these kids, it’s the love of the art of theater that leads them to create something greater than themselves, to leave something behind that is ephemeral in nature but enduring for all those who got to witness it or be a part of it.