Save a man’s life or your career; which would you choose? This is the question that is explored in the latest production by AJ Rhodes Entertainment, Ecce. This play gets its name from the Latin phrase Ecce homo (Behold the man), the famous words of Pontius Pilate, as he condemned Jesus to crucifixion. In the play, Pilate, long considered a villain, is transformed into the protagonist.
Giving this age-old story a new perspective, Playwright AP Carroll, along with Director Ed Churchill and Producer Amanda Rhodes, allow the audience to experience Pilate’s decision from his own point of view. The strong, stern, and authoritative figure spoken of in the Bible becomes more complex as the audience realizes that he is faced with a major decision that could ruin either his conscience or his own future. Carroll characterizes Pilate as a man who must balance his fears with a deep desire to serve the public good. It’s this intense fear, along with self-doubt, that wreaks havoc with his decision-making ability.
Along with giving this Biblical account a new spin, Ecce trades robes and togas for suits and ties, and the Shakespearean “thous” and “thees” have been replaced with slick business lingo in order to give the story a dramatic update. The outcome of these edits is a production that promotes both laughter as well as contemplation.
“I hope they see in this modern Pilate someone they can relate to. It is easy to look at him and dismiss him as weak, or cruel - one or the other. That's not invalid. However, he really wants to help people,” explains Carroll. “He doesn't know how, but he wants to. The pressure builds and builds on him, with expectations coming from different directions and it starts to cloud his judgment. His fear makes him jettison these ideals, and he loses his direction. So, the point, if you want to call it that, would be to hold on to those things.”
With five shows from July 19th until July 28th, Ecce sets out to prove that there are always two sides to every story.
Tickets for the production are currently on sale and can be purchased here. The play will open on July 19th at the Warehouse Theatre, 645 New York Ave., Washington, DC.
For more information about Ecce, please contact Lisa Horan or Shaun Loughran of PopMark Media, 410.764.6220, lisa@popmarkmedia.com, shaun@popmarkmedia.com.
Giving this age-old story a new perspective, Playwright AP Carroll, along with Director Ed Churchill and Producer Amanda Rhodes, allow the audience to experience Pilate’s decision from his own point of view. The strong, stern, and authoritative figure spoken of in the Bible becomes more complex as the audience realizes that he is faced with a major decision that could ruin either his conscience or his own future. Carroll characterizes Pilate as a man who must balance his fears with a deep desire to serve the public good. It’s this intense fear, along with self-doubt, that wreaks havoc with his decision-making ability.
Along with giving this Biblical account a new spin, Ecce trades robes and togas for suits and ties, and the Shakespearean “thous” and “thees” have been replaced with slick business lingo in order to give the story a dramatic update. The outcome of these edits is a production that promotes both laughter as well as contemplation.
“I hope they see in this modern Pilate someone they can relate to. It is easy to look at him and dismiss him as weak, or cruel - one or the other. That's not invalid. However, he really wants to help people,” explains Carroll. “He doesn't know how, but he wants to. The pressure builds and builds on him, with expectations coming from different directions and it starts to cloud his judgment. His fear makes him jettison these ideals, and he loses his direction. So, the point, if you want to call it that, would be to hold on to those things.”
With five shows from July 19th until July 28th, Ecce sets out to prove that there are always two sides to every story.
Tickets for the production are currently on sale and can be purchased here. The play will open on July 19th at the Warehouse Theatre, 645 New York Ave., Washington, DC.
For more information about Ecce, please contact Lisa Horan or Shaun Loughran of PopMark Media, 410.764.6220, lisa@popmarkmedia.com, shaun@popmarkmedia.com.
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