The Last Days of Judas Iscariot
Saw this play tonight. I'm not exactly religious - not even sure if I believe in God. But once you get past some of the verbosity, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot is really good. The nice touch of irony that it was performed in a revamped Methodist church, using the alter as the stage, made for an interesting contrast to the wry humor and dark ideas.
It has some really great bits. My favorite character HAS to be Satan.
But, hearing Sigmund Freud argue on behalf of Judas is also brilliant.
Brings up an interesting point. Working on an assumption that God exists, Catholic religion says that anyone who commits suicide cannot get to Heaven. But in the play, Freud points out the fact that the most basic human instinct is the instinct toward self-preservation. If someone commits suicide, then, that means there's something wrong with the psyche. And can God actually hold someone with a psychological problem responsible for their own behavior? Or, I suppose more to the point, can the leaders of the Church hold someone with a psychological disorder responsible for their actions?
My friend, Alex, played Satan. And hearing Satan argue with a lawyer about the fact that God does, indeed, love everyone is just twisted. I've GOT to get a copy of this script. There are some absolutely brilliant lines in this play!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DfxlzYhJOc&feature=related