"Wow" Moment

Just got home from the most moving and thought provoking theatre experience I've ever had (check out the link, and if you're anywhere near NYC get tickets - you will not be disappointed). There are a few things I want to say about the play and the surrounding events. Since I am completely awestruck right now and cannot really string thoughts together in a fashion befitting the masterful display of craft I've just seen, I'm resorting to a list.

1) My roommate is beyond amazing. Not only is she beautiful and intelligent, but she's incredibly articulate in a way that makes me marvel at her ability to use the English language to perfectly convey what she's thinking and feeling. Most of us are just schlubs who happen to speak and write occasionally compared to her. She's friggin awesome. Through her I have met fantastic people who I truly enjoy and respect. 8 of them came with us to the play tonight. We had dinner together before the show and I'm really glad I got to see them all. I wake up every day and it occurs to me how lucky I am to live where I do, with the 2 women I live with - they're both inspiring for me.

2) This freaking play, dude. Yowza. The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. Umm... where to start? It's directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman (and who doesn't just love him?) and acted by some of the most talented actors arguably in the country - maybe even the world right now. The timing was spot-on, the balance of humor and darkness mixed with a sincere poignancy was enough to blow your mind, and the deep contemplation provoked by the subject matter alone is still churning in my brain.

3) I want to read everything I can about Judas Escariot and what his true motives may have been when he betrayed his best friend and (some say) son of God. Did he act selfishly, wanting only the 30 pieces of silver, knowing his dear friend would surely be killed (then you throw in the question of Pontius Pilot - it was his job to preside and decide the fate of accused men... was he simply following the orders of his job description or was he seeing nothing but just another Jew in front of him when he condemned Jesus to death on the cross???)? Was he attempting to force Jesus to act out and start the revolution against the Romans that only the Messiah was capable of waging? No one really knows I guess. I'm completely fascinated with the very human relationships behind some of the most well-known Bible stories (although I have little to no interest in the religions involved for the most part).

4) Simply because I'm a little star struck and gawk at celebs whenever I can... one of the highlights of the evening was standing outside the Public Theater after the show, smoking a cigarrette with 1/2 the cast and my friends. Way cool. Philip Seymour Hoffman is so fabulous I almost couldn't stand it. And Eric Bogosian? Damn, never thought Satan could be so deliciously sarcastic and sexy. Grrr.

It's late and my brain is working overtime crunching on all this heavy subject matter. I'm going to go dream about Judas (played by Sam Rockwell, btw, who has the cutest little tush and is better in this than he was in Charlie's Angels [gee, think it could be the material?]) and Saint Monica (wow, was she ridiculously good).