CALIFORNIA
The Lookout
By Zina Markevicius
For The Lookout
June 25, 2014 — Egotism and lust for power are not limited to Wall Street. Roger Crane’s thought-provoking play, The Last Confession, demonstrates how politics and personal ambition pervade the Vatican as well.
Based on historical events, the play running at the Ahmenson Theater through July 6, centers on the Catholic church’s most influential leaders, as they navigate the election, sudden death and the replacement of Pope John Paul I in 1978.
Photo. Program Cover. The Last Confession – An Anatomy of Ego and Power LA Ahmenson Theater
Manipulative and power-hungry, these cardinals and other top officials play politics to push their own agendas and careers. They make an unsympathetic bunch.
Among the key players is Cardinal Giovanni Benelli, portrayed by Briton David Suchet, best known for his role as Agatha Christie’s Poirot. Unlike the lovable detective, the scheming cardinal seems ruthless in his pursuit of power, until the death of his friend, John Paul I, after just 33 days as pope.
“I made him pope, and I abandoned him,” confesses Benelli, who pushed his fellow cardinals into selecting the fellow Italian.
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