Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train

By Stephen Adly Guirgis

"Its aggressive high-octane style is like a shot of caffeine straight in the veins" - Lyn Gardner, Guardian Angel Cruz, a poor Puerto Rican, isn't sure why he's in jail after shooting Reverend Kim, the born-again Christian who brainwashed his best friend. 'All I did was shoot him in the ass', he explains to his long-suffering lawyer Mary Hanrahan. But when the Reverend dies in hospital, Angel lands in solitary confinement next to Lucius, a card-carrying Christian serial-killer. Angel holds out that he was justified and his lawyer's sure that a hearts-and-minds appeal will get him off at trial. But then, in a knife-edge final discussion before Lucius is sent to the electric chair, Angel extraordinarily finds that he too is turning towards the faith that he has so far shunned, thus jeopardising his own case against the born-agains. This is a truth-telling, cage-rattling play about faith, justice and diminishing options in an American prison.A 2001 Edinburgh Festival and Off-Broadway hit, the play's London premieres at the Donmar Warehouse in March 2002.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0413772136
• ISBN13: 9780413772138
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Methuen Drama
• Weight: 0.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.8" x 5.1" x 0.2"

Customer Reviews

Wonderful surprise

I had heard of the writer's other play, "Our Lady of 121st Street," but I decided to pick up this one too, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. "Jesus Hopped the A Train" is a powerful play about the meaning of faith and some of the hypocrisy in people who use organized religion (or misuse it) for their own earthly goals. But the story is so much more than that. The character of Angel is wonderful, and as an actor myself I hope to get the chance to play him on stage while I'm young enough to do it. Stephen Adly Guirgis has a great talent for believable dialogue and unique characterization. Some have criticized his alleged weak plotting, but I think the overall pluses in his tales compensate for any negatives. Read his plays and judge for yourself.