Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train
written by Stephen Adly Guirgis
directed by Esteban Andres Cruz
July 25 - Sept 7, 2025
running time: 2hrs, 10 mins (including 10 minute intermission)
(7:30pm show finishes at 9:45pm; 3pm show finishes at 5:15pm)
A cage-rattling prison drama from Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis (Between Riverside & Crazy) that boldly examines faith, dignity, and our system of justice. Angel Cruz is a young Puerto Rican man incarcerated for shooting cult leader Reverend Kim. When the Reverend dies during surgery, Angel suddenly finds himself facing murder charges. His only companions at Rikers Island are Lucius Jenkins, a serial killer turned born-again Christian, and Valdez, a sadistic corrections officer.
Cast
Crew
Esteban Andres Cruz (Director) is thrilled to be making their directorial debut at City Lit and with a play so near and dear to their heart. Born in Berwyn and raised in Cicero, IL-Esteban is an ensemble member with A Red Orchid Theater, where they will be seen in Six Men Dressed Like Joseph Stalin this Spring. Esteban has worked as an actor on many stages in Chicago (Steppenwolf, Writers Theater, Victory Gardens), regionally (La Jolla Playhouse, St Louis Rep, Pasadena Playhouse, Miami New Drama) and with some great directors like David Cromer, Neil Pepe, Chay Yew, Will Davis and John Ortiz. Off Broadway; Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven by Stephen Adly Guirgis (Drama Desk Award Nomination), the musical Cornelia Street by Tony winner Simon Stephens and the Yale Drama Prize winner Bathhouse.pptx by Jesus I Valles, all three world premieres with Esteban originating the roles. They have been collaborating with Guirgis on new plays since 2018. Currently, they have been collaborating on a stage adaptation of the Warner Brothers / Al Pacino film Dog Day Afternoon. Jon Bernthal stars as Esteban’s husband and the play also features Ben Stiller and recent Emmy winner Ebon Moss Bacharach. This Spring Esteban will be making their Lincoln Center debut in a musical about the Greensboro Massacre called The Potluck. Select Film: Spa Night (Cassavetes Award), Rattled, Valley of Bones, A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Xmas Select TV: South Side, Easy, Chicago Fire, IddiotSitter, The Bridge, You’re The Worst, Awkward. Esteban is the Jeff Award winner for their portrayal of Angel Cruz in Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train, the 2018 Theatre Communications Group’s prestigious Fox Fellow Award recipient and also won an After Dark Award for Choreography. Esteban founded the Queer Writers Artistic Collectivé in Chicago and is a member of the Latinx Playwrights Circle in NYC.
Tianxuan Chen (Xuan) (Scenic Design) is a Chicago-based scenic and lighting designer who graduated from Northwestern University with an MFA in stage design. Xuan's design aims to express the emotional journey of the narrative and create bold visual poetry that invites the audience's imagination. Recent design credits include: The Love Object (The Story Theatre, Scenic); 2 Pianos 4 Hands (Northlight, Scenic); Women Beware Women (Blue in the Right Way, Scenic & Lighting); The Prom (Mcleod Summer Playhouse, Scenic); Everybody (Wirtz Center, Scenic); Blood Wedding (Wirtz Center, Scenic). Xuan is the winner of the 2024 USITT Scenic Design Award.
Josiah Croegaert (he/him; Lighting Design) is excited to be at City Lit for the first time and to be working with Esteban again after Last Hermanos! CITY LIT: Debut. CHICAGO: Honeypot(Fleetwood Jourdain), Pro-Am (First Floor), Mothers (The Gift), Sondheim Tribute Review, Baked!, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas(Theo Ubique), Last Hermanos(Red Orchid) CO-DESIGN: The Heart Sellers(Northlight), Falsettos(Court), Topdog/Underdog(Invictus). REGIONAL: Young Frankenstein, Every Christmas Story, Cabaret(Breckenridge). Graduate of Columbia College Chicago 2021. josiahcrodesign.com
Charlotte Davies (Stage Manager) is a writer, actor, and stage manager who is delighted to be part of Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train and work with City Lit Theater. She previously worked as Assistant Stage Manager for the world premiere of Olivia Buntaine's MEDEAMEDEAMEDEA at Theatre EVOLVE, and Stage Manager for POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive at Green Shirt Studio. She is preparing to direct her first film in September and recently ranked as a quarterfinalist in the Outstanding Screenplays Shorts Competition (2025) for her script Hunting Bigfoot.
Andres Fiz (Projection Design) is a Chicago-based projection designer. Their credits include Wipeout (Rivendell Theatre Ensemble), Il Prigioniero, and The Love Of Three Kings (Chicago Opera Festival), Orfeo Ed Euridice, and Turn Of The Screw (DePaul Opera Theatre), The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time (Oakton College), Les Miserables (TUTS, Houston), The Mole Hill Stories, and Las Wavys (DePaul University) and Danceworks: Signal Transfer (Northwestern University). Andres received a BFA in projection design from The Theatre School at DePaul University. www.andresfiz.com
Warren Levon (Sound Design) returns to City Lit as Sound Designer for Jesus Hopped The ‘A’ Train. His last venture was designing Seven Guitars which won a Jeff Award for Best Production. Warren has designed and engineered for various theatre companies throughout his career. Recent credits at Invictus Theatre, Pulse Theatre Company and Oakton College to name a few. 1st Corinthians 15:10
Jazmin Aurora Medina (Costume Design) is a queer, xicana interdisciplinary artist based in the midwest, but is a frequent adventurer with her design work! With a focus in costume design, Jazmin believes in the magical power of empathetic, transformative storytelling through her practice. She is thrilled to be joining City Lit Theater for the first time this season! Previous design credits also include Go Dog Go!/Ve Perro Ve! (Chicago Children’s Theatre) The Snow Queen (Seattle Children’s Theatre), The Lizard y El Sol (Goodman Theatre) and assistant to recent Emmy winning artist Machine Dazzle for Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil (Goodman Theatre) and many more. Jazmin has also previously received the honor of being selected as one of the thirty-four ‘USA’s Young Emerging Costume Designers' for the 2019 Prague Quadrennial for Eurydice (UW-Waukesha). Jazmin wouldn't be here without the constant support of her family, friends and community, and would like to continually honor them through her work. Check jazminaurora.com or @jazminnauroraa for more!
Meghann Tabor (Assistant Director) is an actor and educator, who usually directs and writes plays for kindergarten students. She is grateful to work with these incredible (grown-up) artists on Jesus Hopped The ‘A’ Train. Much thanks to Esteban, one of the first actors she met in the city. As an actor, Meghann has been a part of two Jeff Nominated ensembles, most recently in Idle Muse's production of Jane: Abortion and the Underground. As a teacher, her work spans the ages, from two-year-olds to medical students. Meghann can also be found working backstage and onstage with her artistic home, Promethean Theatre Ensemble.
