Written by orange• April 24, 2026• 8:25 pm• Irvine, Review, The Wayward Artist, Theater, Uncategorized

The Larking House & The Wayward Artist presents: The Last Days of Judas Iscariot @ Irvine United Congregational Church – Review

Photo Credit Sarah Lina Sparks

Written by Patrick Chavis

The Larking House & Wayward Artist presents: The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, playing now at Irvine United Congregational Church in Irvine, April 16 – 25, 2026.

Larking House’s latest offering, Stephen Adly Guirgis’s The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, takes a broad comedic approach to the material. Directed by Lizzy McCabe, the show seems to lean less into the darkness and more into the comedic, without losing the substance of the material.

A Kangaroo court of Biblical proportions!

Stephen Adly Guirgis, a prominent New York playwright known for plays such as the Mother Fucker with the Hat, Jesus Hopped the A Train, and Our Lady of 121st Street, frequently sets his plays in New York City. The Last Days of Judas Iscariot is one of those exceptions, as the play is set in a purgatory court room. For those unaware, purgatory is the middle section, reserved for those neither in heaven nor hell. It’s often, a place where some might go when their destination has not yet been decided.

Story:

Judas Iscariot, the disciple who double-crossed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, which ultimately led to Christ’s crucifixion, is receiving his fictional court date. In this comical trial, there are special guests like Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, and Mother Teresa.

The play has a good balance of comedy and philosophical inquiries. Also, the playwright’s dialogue is very modern and very New York, even when he’s not exclusively writing from that setting.

Set/Costume:

On the day I reviewed, on April 22nd, it was an understudy performance. I took this into consideration while assessing the production. Setting this particular piece in an actual church was a nice touch. However, the very flat, leveled seating in the church doesn’t help create the best sight lines. That being said, I found a very good seat up front and had very little trouble seeing most of the action take place, on the stage and in the rows. Tony Sanchez’s scenic design doesn’t really transform the space, but it does add some important elements pertinent to the story. The lighting and acting do the heavy lifting. Sometimes less is more.

Sound Design:

From what I could tell, many of the actors were mic’d. It was very easy to hear what was going on throughout the production. Sean Geisbush’s sound design blended seamlessly with the dramatic action, complementing the scene without becoming the main focus.

Acting:

Hobbling and giving guff as often as she could, Vita Muccia delivers a sidesplitting performance as Mother Teresa.

Zion Aguilar brings El-Fayoumy to life on the stage with one of the more colorful performances. With a thick Egyptian esk accent and the attitude of a sleazy car salesman, he had enough inappropriate moments to put him in contempt in a normal proceeding.

Andrew Puente (Satan) plays the prince of darkness. With an outfit from Costume Designer Olive Dibb that would make him look right at home in a Las Vegas Strip club and not a church in Irvine. Makeup Designer Lizzy McCabe also adds something with an impressive prosthetic angel wing that looks positively ghoulish in the best possible way.

The production is a mature piece and covers topics such as suicide, and strong language is used throughout, so be aware.