Review: Jeesus hyppää metroon

RATTLING THE BARS

Stephen Adly Guirgis: Jesus jumps on the subway
Translation, direction, set design, costumes: Riku Suokas
Music and sound design: Petri Lapintie
Lighting design: Teppo Saarinen
Cast: Eppu Salminen, Henry Hanikka, Aino Seppo, Jarkko Rantanen, Panu Vauhkonen
Premiere at Helsinki City Theatre’s Theatre Studio Pasila 28.8.

Inmates of a US prison rage in their cells: the first five minutes
The v-word is heard about 80 times (some American journalist
fat). A serial killer and a serial killer
A young man who accidentally ended up as a murderer fights with a possible
About God’s opinions. The young man’s lawyer explains to the viewers
how it all ends.

Jesus jumps on the subway to apply short scenes positioned on stage
American television drama. Some of them focus on shooting killings,
others solve in a less violent, entertaining and interesting way
the strange legal system of the Americans. L.A. Law, NYPD, Justice and Equity,
Tough law, etc.

Lawyers wrestle their clients out of judgments trading
system, in which the jury can decide on one and the
because law and justice are not always the same thing.

Stephen Adly Guirgis, who himself has worked for years in prison, is
I’ve written episodes of NYPD, among others. Jesus jumps on the subway was successful
Off-Broadway a couple of years ago and in the spring, e.g. in London. It
were praised for the energetic theatrical approach, although not for the dramatic depth.

***

The fifth direction of the City Theatre’s deputy director Riku Suokas is energetic,
and the actors cope pretty well with quite a bit of yelling and nagging
dialogue. At best, the first half of the interpretation holds
the viewer’s interest above.

Lucius Jenkins, who killed eight people, says he has come to faith.
Angel Cruz, who shot the leader of a religious sect in the buttocks, does not believe
To become a believer. Lucius believes he has been forgiven for his sick deeds, Angel
On the other hand, he believes that he himself has given the rude cult leader only this merit
because he wanted to
saves his best friend from the clutches of the sect. But when a man dies
complications, the butt-shooter is turned into a murderer.

Eppu Salminen is a temperamental Angel. In Salminen’s glowing anger,
comedy, and on the other hand, he also skilfully interprets Angel’s
helplessness in the grip of a harsh reality. Henry Hanikka is gentle
Lucius, an ex-psychopath converted to a man of God; In Hanikka’s hands with a crazy
Piety cracks frighteningly in places.

Panu Vauhkonen restrainedly makes Guirgis’s typically horrible, sadistic
prison guard, Jarkko Rantanen is another extreme, cookies for Lucius
the smuggling, kind-simple Charlie.

Aino Seppo’s task as Angeli’s lawyer is to explain the case to the viewers
and how lying is one of the means of legal practice.
Beyond commentary, the role doesn’t inspire me much.

The characters have no other life than that which is built around the theme,
and their relationships with each other do not progress on stage from the basic settings
for anything; In a simplifying play of tendencies, a play that utilizes naturalism
Acting is important, dramatic depth and theatrical surprise
secondary.

Of course, anyone can appropriate salvation and forgiveness for themselves
emotion, and religion can be used as any kind of merchandise; Nothing
Guirgis can’t say anything new about the theme. After the intermission, the thinness of the dialogue and
The still life is starting to bother me.

***

Suokas’ Finnish translation sounds like a translation with linguistic errors in places. (Pathetic
is pathetic in Finnish and not ‘pathetic’.) Naturalistic everyday slang is
difficult even for the best professional translators.

The second performance at Teatteristudio Pasila had 18 spectators. Aren’t they
Interested in Jesus and matters of faith? As for the interest of becoming a believer,
last spring’s Haapoja from the Group Theatre and Jussi Kylätasku explored the same theme
both theatrically and thematically brilliantly.

Or do you get bored of the barbell drama? Do viewers think that this kind of
Have you seen enough American realism on the screen already? I don’t know the explanation 18
spectators, but I’m sure that the City Theatre’s
Anglo-American-majority adult repertoire that does not risk
with anything commercially unsuccessful, shrinks the artistic
ways of expression and perspectives on the world.