I had a rather odd experience a couple months ago. I went to a book reading for this book, A Jesuit Off-Broadway, by James Martin, SJ. What was odd about it was that the author, the usual reader at these events, was only one of the readers. Guirgis, and many of the original cast (other than the "big" names, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Sam Rockwell) of Guirgis' play, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, joined Martin in reading excerpts from the book at the Public Theater--in the same space where the play was performed and my wife and I had watched it with interest a couple years back. It was a wonderful and surreal evening.
What made it surreal, at least for me, was listening to the others besides Martin read their "parts." Martin writes extensively about Guirgis and the cast in this book, their religious backgrounds, experiences and motivations. He quotes them all rather extensively though I can't believe he was taking copious notes at the time (though I could be wrong about this). As these actors read about themselves I couldn't help but notice that what I was watching was a person playing another person's interpretation of themselves. Most brought it off brilliantly but some (Guirgis, in particular) seemed to squirm with discomfort at reading his motivations aloud as interpreted by Martin. It made me more aware than usual, as I read the book, of how an author shapes experiences--as "real" as they are--to his own ends by his choices and presentation. The other cast and crew may have perceived these same events quite differently.
I know I, for one, perceived some of the things he writes about quite differently. As an attendee at one of the "talk back" nights, I agree with Martin that some of the questions can be thoughtless and rude. On the other hand, I found the cast and crew to be unforthcoming and rude to those of us with an interest enough in the work to support it. I myself only listen at these nights, looking for a deeper insight into what I've seen; however, I'm constantly disappointed in how little appreciation the cast and crew gives to their audience. As a sometime actor myself who does talk backs on occasion, I understand the weariness that can overwhelm at the end of a performance, but I always try to charge myself up for talk backs and remain even-handed with rude questions because I respect those who support me and my work.
I also understand Martin's sensitivity to the criticism leveled in some of the reviews of the play. It does demonstrate how enmeshed he got with the development of this show. On the other hand, though I liked the play immensely, I did not think it was without its weaknesses--the length and the appropriateness of some of the monologues, for example. In my mind, an unwillingness to explore justified criticism shows a weakness in judgement. (He was also reluctant to take Guirgis to task for his slowness in writing a play to which he had committed. I was much more sympathetic to the actors waiting for pages.)
Still, Martin deserves kudos for many of the great things he does in the book. He gives great amounts of historical background that inform the story of Judas and how they played out in this show. He explores how developing a play, particularly one like this, can be a spiritual journey and he uses this theme to great advantage. He gives insight into how a new play is created and brought to the stage, in some respects better than I've seen in writing by theater "professionals." Plus, he does so in a situation where he can talk in a bit of depth about some of the greats of stage and screen--Guirgis, Hoffman, Rockwell, Bogosian, etc.
Finally, I have to express my pleasure in his relating some of the background of the Jesuits and their involvement in theater. I am the product of a Jesuit education and I have great respect for these men who have always seemed to me the powerhouse of intellectual Catholicism. Having Martin's insights is something I value very much.
Ultimately, I guess I have to turn the critical lens back on myself. Though I was only peripherally involved in the events Martin discusses, I am perhaps too close to the events. My judgement may be somewhat swayed by the brief encounters I had with the play, its cast, its author and its "theological advisor." Still, that cannot get me to value my observations and opinions any less than Martin's. Much like the play Martin discusses, this is not a book without flaws; however, also like the play, this is a book that should be experienced.
