THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT To Be Presented By Fruit Fly Theatre Company

Fruit Fly Theatre Company is set to present Stephen Adly Guirgis' The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, with New York actress Naomi Orange set to play Judas. The production is planned for the winter season, with exact dates yet to be announced.

The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, reimagines the biblical story as a trial in Purgatory, where lawyers, witnesses, and religious figures debate Judas' fate. Blending drama and dark humor, Guirgis' work explores themes of guilt, faith, judgment, and redemption surrounding Judas' betrayal of Jesus.

The production continues Fruit Fly Theatre Company's approach to theatre through a punk lens. With its exploration of religion, morality, and the figure of the Devil, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot is a natural fit for the company's artistic direction. Fruit Fly's recent work has ranged from experimental collage pieces to classical Spanish tragedy, moving between contemporary and classical texts. A recurring feature of the company's productions is their use of large ensembles, and this production is no exception, with a cast drawn primarily from immigrant, female, and queer performers. Orange is the first cast member to be announced.

Orange joins the production following a year of principal roles across New York theatre. Her recent credits include Agent B in Wayne's Gun, an original time-travel musical presented through the New York Theatre Festival. The production received five festival awards, including Best Production. Orange worked with creator and director Olga S. Popova as the script, choreography, and music developed around the character, while also understudying another leading role.

Earlier in the year, Orange also starred in the festival in a very different kind of play, as Chloe in Shiva. The experimental work explored suicide and relied almost entirely on improvised dialogue and the actors' ability to listen and respond to one another.

Orange is also a co-founder and resident actor of Fruit Fly Theatre Company, having played Claire in The Wish, the company's debut production, and the Narrator in Federico García Lorca's La Casa de Bernarda Alba. Following a sold-out initial run at The Broadway, the latter production was extended and transferred to the Producers' Club in Manhattan's Theatre District. Orange most recently appeared with the company as Lav in Throuples Counseling.

In The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, Orange takes on the central role in a story that explores who deserves blame and whether even the most condemned can be forgiven. The play questions long-held beliefs about personal responsibility and the nature of faith, asking the audience to reconsider one of Christianity's most contested figures.