FIRST DATE
FIRST DATE
FIRST DATE
FIRST DATE
JESUS, SON OF MAN
The world premiere stage adaptation of the1928 novella
Written by Khalil Gibran
Adapted for the stage by Jordan Westfall
WHEN & WHERE:
April 15-24th, 2022
The Everson Museum of Art
Syracuse, NY
Presented by Thanasis Theatre Company
PRODUCTION TEAM:
Directed by Jordan Westfall
Asst. Direction by Bianca Hallett
Set Design by Navroz Dabu
Exec. Producer by Felicity Hall
PSM & Lights by Sarah Anson-Ordon
Photography by Lauren Sageer
Videography by Ryan Needle
Sound Design by Jordan Westfall
Costumes by Simon Moody & Sonya Mangovski
CAST:
MARY, THE MOTHER OF JESUS
Binaifer Dabu
ANNA, THE MOTHER OF MARY/
CYBOREA, THE MOTHER OF JUDAS
Anne-Margaret Childress
ASSAPH, ORATOR OF TYRE/LUKE/
MANNUS, A POMPEIIAN TO A GREEK
Jeremiah Thompson
NATHANIEL/JOHN THE BAPTIST/ANDREW
Donovan Stanfield
CAIAPHAS/URIAH, AN OLD MAN OF NAZARETH
/A MAN OUTSIDE OF JERUSALEM
Simon Moody
MARY MAGDALENE
Bianca Hallett
JOANNA, THE WIFE OF HEROD'S STEWARD/
SALOME/PHUMIAH, HIGH PRIESTESS OF SIDON
Lauren Puente
A PERSIAN PHILOSOPHER IN DAMASCUS/
NICODEMUS/A COBBLER IN JERUSALEM
Joshua Michael King
A YOUNG PRIEST OF CAPERNAUM/LEVI, A DISCIPLE/BARTHOLOMEW
Ahmad Maher
JOHN, SON OF ZEBEDEE/PONTIUS PILATUS
Basil Allen
SABA OF ANTIOCH/A WIDOW OF GALILEE/ HANNAH OF BETHSAIDA
Michaela Oney
SUSANNAH OF NAZARETH
Bethani Rahrle-White
MARY MAGDALENE, THIRTY YEARS LATER
Felicity Hall
A MAN FROM LEBANON, 20 CENTURIES LATER
Jordan Westfall
OVERVIEW:
I first encountered Khalil Gibran and his body of work in a course called Religion, Literature & Film my junior year at Marymount Manhattan College. Taught by Professor Justin Lasser, the course was jam packed with a palpable, passionate kind of energy as we explored various belief systems and philosophies from around the world.
Having already been introduced to and seen The Vagina Monologues and The Eight: Reindeer Monologues on stage at Marymount, I immediately saw the potential for Jesus, the Son of Man to be performed and embodied live by actors, in front of a fully engaged audience.
That vision continued to evolve and transform over the next ten years, with the most significant addition being the presence of Mother Mary – whose voice is absent in Gibran's text – via Colm Toibín's The Testament of Mary, which I saw front row center on Broadway in 2013 and read immediately thereafter.
And while I have not yet been granted the rights to direct Testament, I have been in talks with Toibín and his team to do so, and am hopeful that one day I will indeed get the chance. Ultimately, my goal is to present Testament as a purposeful, complimentary Part 2 to Jesus, Son of Man, allowing the two pieces to communicate with one another, despite being separated by eighty three years and two different writers.