Does anybody know when in the movie John the Baptist turned into Judas? the first time I saw this movie I assumed it was right away, when they were in the junkyard talking about the king and his servant and everybody's cheering the master and there John/Judas is, standing alone, as if he doesn't really belong with the others but sticks around anyway.
shareThere is no specific turning point. It is just one person who performs both 'functions', an amalgamation if you will. Overall, he's supposed to be part Jesus' best buddy and part 'stage manager' for the on-stage action. And in the productions I've seen, he always holds himself a little bit apart...it is as if all the other actors become very childlike, and he is the slightly older child, a little more aware of the world around him.
shareExcept he always seems to stand alone because nobody really likes him that much.
shareI agree about there not being an actual turning point. Instead of explicitly being both characters, he shows elements of both. On the one hand, he's Jesus' champion and right hand man, but he also shows more doubt and challenges Jesus more than anyone else (think of All for the Best, the Beatitudes, and the "turn the other cheek" scene). Yet when the time comes to betray Jesus, he clearly is so conflicted and guilty and doesn't want to go through it until Jesus tells him to...."Friend, do quickly what you have to do."
A young girl passes / in a hurry. Hair uncombed. / Full of black devils. --Kelly Link
I recently played this role and the script itself is kind of ambiguous. It gives conflicting hints as to whether he's two characters or one. However, my director told me to play it as one, which was a lot easier. I tried to come up with two different characterizations and how I would make it clear that the switch had occurred. There's just no easy way.
shareI assume that the John the Baptist aspect of the character ends at the time of Jesus' baptism. From then onward he is Judas. Don't forget, Judas wasn't always a bad guy. Until he betrayed Jesus, Judas was his follower, who put aside his own life to learn from his master.
shareIt's hard to pinpoint. I think it's when he tells about the 30 pieces of silver.
I'm hoping that David never ran into the REAL Judas because that would be very bad.
This is what David Haskell called the changeover point. And don't forget the Finale which begins with "Long Live God..", an
implicit acknowledgement of the resurrection, and then Haskell starts the counterpoint "Prepare Ye" reprise. Now he's
back to being John.