REVIEW: Spotlighters' 'A' Train: A Ride Not to Be Missed

Steven Adly Guirgis' Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train is described in the Spotlighters' press materials as a "raw uncompromising portrait." That may be the understatement of the young millennium. It is raw from the moment you enter the theatre and walk onto an austere, cold, amazingly realistic prison set (constructed by C. Dan Bursi, and finely painted by scenic artist Peter Fox). It is raw the minute the lights go down and the inmates are screaming obscenities all around you in the dark, while a very sad, confused piece of humanity kneels center stage and cries, moans, and pleads for the words to a long-forgotten prayer. From there, it is uncompromising. It comes at you like a subway train hurtling through the darkness while you are stuck to the tracks paralyzed with fear. Spotlighters has not only promised an evening where difficult questions are asked and the answers, if there, only pose more, it delivers. This production is so tight, so tense and so provocative (unlike other productions that advertise this theatre-lover thrill) that it will likely stay with this reviewer for weeks to come.

Briefly, the play is about a meeting of the minds in Riker's Island Maximum Security. Lucius (Marc Stevens), aka "The Black Plague" is a serial killer who has found God and awaits extradition to Florida. Angel Cruz (Carlos del Valle), in attempt to save a friend from a religious cult, kills the reverend of the group and awaits trial. Mary Jane Hanrahan (Jane Steffen), a public defender sees the good in Angel and tries to save his life and find some peace in hers. Valdez (Eli Jackson), the maximum security guard wields his own brand of justice and finds some truth for himself. What this could easily have become was a histrionic, melodramatic Lifetime movie; instead, it is a two-hour triumph of contradictory ideas. 

While some of this is due to the quality of the script, the majority of this production's success belongs squarely in the hands of its director, Barry Feinstein, and an amazingly talented group of young actors. First and foremost, Feinstein is to be commended for holding tight rein on the cast, not letting them slip into easy stereotypes or even worse, overacting. Had that happened, it would have had a "been there, done that, so sick of the same complaining" feel. Any director currently working on any play that has a heated argument or debate scene in it needs to get him or herself to the Spotlighters Theatre. This play is a virtuoso study on how to direct and act in a prolonged argument. Clearly, the actors worked hard to make the arguments authentic and fresh in feeling, but they also fine tuned it by realizing a variety of levels – vein popping screams of anger are even more effective when combined with low tones and an ominous glare, for example.

The acting, across the board, is astonishing. The two lead males are chillingly and heartbreakingly real. del Valle's Angel is at times frustrating to watch, just as his character is frustrated. One wants to both smack some sense into his naïve head, and wrap ones arms around him in comfort being the best friend anyone could ask for. His pleas for help and understanding are absolutely gut-wrenching. In his Act Two speech about playing in the subway, one not only understands the title of the play, but more importantly understands that even a killer was once an innocent child. Stevens' Lucius is a complex mix of self-righteousness and strength, warmth and fury– the man can kill 8 people, and proudly describe the murder of a young boy, but can't bring himself to say "penis." When he describes his enlightenment, one wants so badly to believe that God has forgiven him, but one questions His forgiveness. Stevens takes what has sadly become a stereotype – a Black man on death row – and created a beautifully realized, complicated portrait of an Everyman. In short, del Valle and Stevens give brilliant performances. Ms. Steffen, the lone female in the cast, has been given the least to work with script-wise and creates a wonderfully realized individual, both hard as nails and deeply caring. Her recollections of a father-daughter dance, and later, the results of Angel's trial are moving, difficult and profound. Hers is the most easily stereotyped role (she could have easily played it as any of the female lawyers in any of the Law and Orders) but she creates a real woman – smart, cunning and warm all at once. The brilliance in all three of the main portrayals comes not from the physical acting, but in the mental exercise all three are going through. One need only listen to their voices and watch their eyes to get at the truth they are portraying. That is the sign of not good acting, but great acting. As the sympathetic, perhaps conned guard, Charlie (nicely underplayed by Matt Foster) never looks anyone in the eye, not even the audience during a soliloquy. He is a man with internal conflicts, who learns the hard way that doing the right thing doesn't always have the best consequences. Eli Jackson, as Vasquez, the other guard, is an amazing vocal and physical presence. He is terrifying and terrified, and the ability to portray both, often simultaneously, is a task that Mr. Jackson has taken head-on and because of that, delivers a brave, unflinching performance.

'A' Train poses more questions than it answers. Can a serial killer find redemption? Does God forgive? Can you kill for the "right" reasons? Is "legal justice", as the lawyer says, an oxymoron? Is one murder as bad as eight? Is the victimization of a killer less valid than the victimization of his victims? These questions barely scratch the surface of this complex, riveting play. But they are questions that need to be asked, and the answers may be found at Spotlighters. This is a truly don't miss it event, so don't miss it – it leaves you better for having had the experience.

NOTE: This play contains sustained profanity, racial and sexual slurs, graphic images, and prison violence. It may not be suitable for children. PHOTO of Marc Stevens (L) and Carlos del Valle (R) by Amy Jones.

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