A church is the most natural — and most unlikely — setting for playwright Sarah Ruhl’s triptych, “Passion Play.”
Natural because the play explores the staging of the story of Jesus’s death and supposed resurrection; unlikely because of its critical examination of Christian pageants.
That should make the New York premiere of Ruhl’s play all the more intriguing when it opens on May 12 at the Irondale Center.
The ambitious “Passion Play” is comprised of three connected works, spanning 400 years and three countries, from Queen Elizabeth’s England to Hitler’s Germany to Reagan-era South Dakota.
In “Passion Play,” Ruhl explores the devotional tradition while touching on homosexuality, anti-Semitism, war and race, a la “Angels in America” (there’s even a flying angel).
There’s a lot going on — hence the play’s three-and-a-half-hour runtime — so if you need some reinforcements, there will be bread and wine served during intermission. Irony optional.
“Passion Play” at the Irondale Center [85 S. Oxford St. near Lafayette Avenue in Fort Greene, (718) 488-9233], May 12-30. Tickets $22.50-42.50. — Meredith Deliso