Tag Archives: 2011

A Night of Deadly Serious Comedies – Ionesco’s The Future Is in Eggs & Pirandello’s Sicilian Limes

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Joseph Hendel, Lauren Rayner Productions, andADEV Inc. present

A NIGHT OF DEADLY SERIOUS COMEDIES

Ionesco’s THE FUTURE IS IN EGGS & Pirandello’s SICILIAN LIMES

two forgotten modernist plays that are incredibly relevant in an age of economic scarcity, political pessimism, and cultural disaffection.

Through strong improvisational-based acting and a cutting-edge use of technology, this production unites the stylistically disparate one-acts into a coherent expression of hopeful defiance, one that entertains while simultaneously challenging the audience’s perceptions about  love, money, and personal fulfillment.

Ionesco’s The Future is in Eggs is a daring and hysterical example of The Theater of the Absurd. After entering into an arranged marriage, it is time for Jacques and Roberta to produce some offspring. With their family members eagerly looking on they begin to “hatch” their eggs. In Pirandello’s Sicilian Limes a dark, expressionistic farce, small‐town musician Micuccio comes to the big city to marry the poor country girl he helped turn into a famous opera star. In contrast to the Ionesco play, which is played  more traditionally to the audience, the Pirandello play offers so many possible interpretations that it will be presented using never‐before‐used interactive audio technology, affording the audience access to multiple perspectives and engaging them in the theater‐making process.

Directed by Joseph Hendel

Produced by Lauren Rayner Productions

The company includes Adam Hocherman, Bradley Sumner, Brendan Sokler, Frankie Johnson, Grace Folsom, Joel Malazita, Lisa Hickman, Meaghan Sloane, and Skylar Saltz.

The creative team includes sound by Nick Engel, sets by Charlie Gaidica and lights by Evan Gannon.

June 17th thru June 26th 2011

The Shell Theatre

300  West 43rd Street, 4th Floor

New York, NY 10036

Slideshow: click here

Reviews:

http://www.nytheatre.com/showpage.aspx?s=nigh12707
http://www.thelmagazine.com/newyork/a-basket-of-eggs-a-sack-of-limes-and-a-smartphone/Content?oid=2135073
http://culturefuture.blogspot.com/2011/06/review-future-is-in-eggs-sicilian-limes.html

Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of an Author by Aquila Theatre

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Aquila Theatre, Company in Residence at NYU’s Center for Ancient Studies, Presents

Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of an Author

Wednesday–Thursday April 20–21, 2011 at 8pm

Aquila Theatre’s exciting new production of Nobel Laureate Luigi Pirandello’s drama Six Characters in Search of an Author, dares to ask audiences to consider fundamental questions about the very nature of art and entertainment, blurring the lines between reality and artifice. Just as the original London audience at Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest rioted, the crowds in Rome erupted in cries of “Manicomio!” (Madhouse!) during the first performance. Yet ‘Six Characters’ went on to be considered a groundbreaking work and one of the most important plays of the twentieth century. The London Daily Telegraph described the work as “combining intellect with raw emotion and remaining highly influential”.

The production, directed by Desiree Sanchez, is performed in mask and based on Peter Meineck’s research on how the tragic mask operated in performance from the perspective of the spectator and in relationship to the surrounding environment.  It also brings to life Pirandello’s original suggestion that the play be performed in mask.

http://aquilatheatre.com/touring/six-characters-2/

 

NYU Skirball Center

566 LaGuardia Place at Washington Square

New York, NY 10012

 

Tickets: http://www.skirballcenter.nyu.edu/page/tickets

Slideshow in hi-resolution: click here

On Chaos in Abu Dhabi: Working through Pirandello

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On Chaos in Abu Dhabi: Working through Pirandello

March 24, 2011 | 6:30-8:00 PM

Lecture location: 19 Washington Square North, Events Space, New York City

Marking the occasion of NYUAD’s inaugural theater production this Spring of Luigi Pirandello’s Chaos, this panel will discuss the importance of Pirandello for the tradition of theater, the challenges of adapting his story for the stage, and the central role of migrant identity in his work.

Jana O’Keefe Bazzoni Chair, The Department of Communication Studies, Baruch College;
Co-president of The Pirandello Society of America
Jane House Artistic Director, Jane House Productions
Felice Italo Beneduce Lecturer of Italian, Columbia University
Federico Pacchioni Assistant Professor In-Residence of Italian Literary and Cultural Studies, University of Connecticut
Rubén Polendo Associate Professor of Theater, NYUAD

Co-sponsored by Theater Mitu http://www.theatermitu.org/

http://nyuad.nyu.edu/news.events/nyc.global.literature.2010-11.html