Get to know AP Carroll, the playwright behind Ecce

A recent graduate of George Washington University, Playwright AP Carroll has begun to carve a niche for himself within the DC theater community. He is bringing to life his own creative and thought-provoking take on the story of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in Ecce. By looking at this 2,000 year old story from a new point of view, Carroll hopes to give the audience something they have never seen before.

“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. He doesn't know how, but he wants to.”

His idea for the Ecce came during his work with the 14th Grade Players, a GWU student production company, and was partially inspired by his prior Catholic school education.

“Growing up, I was fascinated by the story of Pilate. Going to Catholic school, you become very familiar with "the passion," and the different personalities involved. But the final product, which tells a modern story, is the result of a later realization that the questions raised in that trial are still potent and still relevant. How much idealism should be sacrificed to provide the greatest good? What are the true motivations for ambition - service or self-service? I did not set out to tell "the real" story of Pilate's life and the death of Jesus. I am not a theologian or a historian. That's beyond my capability. When I initiated the script, at the encouragement and with the help of friends at 14th Grade, it turned into what we have today.”

Carroll’s production not only provides a new storyline to Jesus’ crucifixion, he also replaces togas with suits and the Biblical vernacular with modern business lingo. These factors help transform the Biblical version of the story into one more heavily focused on politics -- and one that is far more accessible to audiences.
See Ecce, a production by AJ Rhodes Entertainment, on July 19th at the Warehouse Theater as part of the 2012 Capital Fringe Festival in Washington, D.C. Tickets can be purchased online at www.capfringe.org

For more information about Ecce, please contact Lisa Horan or Shaun Loughran of PopMark Media, 410.764.6220, lisa@popmarkmedia.com, shaun@popmarkmedia.com.