(Photos: Jaime Diaz)

Written by Patrick Chavis

After watching The Last Days of Judas Iscariot at Santa Ana College, I was reminded about not just the nature of drama but comedy as well.  Good drama — if not always then very often –requires comedy to lighten the load of the story especially when it comes to very difficult topics or subject matter. Comedy should balance the drama in a yin and yang sort of way so that comedic and dramatic parts of the play complement each other.  In this production, playing only one more weekend at the Phillips Hall in Santa Ana, the dramatic and comedic elements tended to fight each other instead of complementing the narrative.  Still,  there is plenty of meaty material coming from some very talented actors as well as some brave, enlightened scene staging.    Continue Reading