Synopsis
The Judas Kiss - ACTING EDITION
Published by Samuel French Inc
6 Male 1 Female
Act One captures him in 1895 on the eve of his arrest. He still has a chance to flee to the continent but chooses to let the train leave without him
In the second act, Wilde is in Naples more than two years later, after his release from Reading Gaol
In exile, he is drawn to a reunion with his unworthy lover and a final betrayal
"What Hare has achieved masterfully are two companion vignettes pinpointing and highlighting the fall of Wilde. The dialogue is urbane, stylish and frequently imbued with Oscar like flashes of humor and purplish poetic resonance. But the main thrust is for character and situation: a mood portrait of a fall from grace" ~ N.Y. Post
"A moving evocation of the human spirit" ~ N.Y. Daily News
"Shifts the heroic focus, emphasizing Wilde less as a martyr of sexual persuasion than as a martyr of love.... That the object of Wilde's love ... is so clearly unworthy of it only makes the sacrifice more noble" ~ N.Y. Times
This is the Acting Edition
For the Faber UK Edition, click here