A Revolution of the Senses
EgoPo to produce the controversial Marat/Sade By Peter Weiss Directed by Brenna Geffers Philadelphia, PA – June 3, 2010
EgoPo Classic Theater is thrilled to announce the first production of our 2010/2011 season: The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade, commonly referred to by its shortened title, Marat/Sade. Directed by Brenna Geffers, the show will open as part of the Philly Fringe Festival in addition to launching EgoPo’s season-long-festival celebrating The Theatre of Cruelty. Marat/Sade will be staged site-specifically in the spectacular Sanctuary at the Rotunda at 40th and Walnut Streets, with the press opening on September 3rd and running until September 18th.
Marat/Sade transports the audience to France 1808, inside the walls of the Charenton Asylum. Here, the infamous Marquis de Sade is serving his 32 year imprisonment for blasphemy and sexual deviancy. The stone walls act as a pressure cooker where de Sade is directing the inmates of the asylum in a play that celebrates France’s rise from the bloody reign of the French Revolution. Fighting through their narcolepsy, paranoia, erotomania and other infirmities, the inmates strive to re-create the murder of the revolutionist icon, Jean Paul Marat. Their attempts to create sensual music, romantic love poems and patriotic sentiments give way to chaos, and the performance crumbles to a shocking and violent conclusion. Marat/Sade stands as one of the most controversial plays ever written, drawing inspiration from Anton Artaud’s theories of theatre of cruelty. Written by German playwright, Peter Weiss in 1964, the piece is no less relevant today with its diatribe against the anger and violence a society holds towards a leader who has promised them change and then has failed to deliver. EgoPo recreates De Sade’s post-revolutionary world in the crumbling beauty of the Sanctuary Space at the Rotunda. While Marat/Sade has the reputation of being an unfettered plunge into the chaos of the insane, EgoPo’s production will be a highly disciplined exploration of the fragile line between passion and mania. Marat/Sade is also well known for Peter Brooks’ notorious film version, which made the score composed by Richard Peasle the most popular choice for American productions. EgoPo’s Marat/Sade however will feature a brand new score, highlighting new music composed for the toy piano, accordion, mandolin and cello to be performed live by the actors. With a cast of 14 performers who sing, play a bundle of instruments, employ highly stylized movement and grotesque rod puppets, EgoPo’s Marat/Sade promises to deliver an unforgettable, fully-immersing theatrical event.
EgoPo has collected an exciting and multi-talented ensemble of actors for Marat/Sade, with both familiar and new faces. Returning to EgoPo after his performance as the Drum Major in EgoPo’s hit Woyzeck, David Blatt steps into the role of the Marquis de Sade. He was also recently seen as Clowny in Nice People’s controversial Love Jerry, as well as in People’s Light and Theatre Company’s King Lear and The Lantern’s Henry IV this season. EgoPo is also pleased to welcome back Megan Hoke as the murderess Charlotte Corday. Megan last performed in EgoPo’s fringe sensation, Company as the lead voice of Memory. EgoPo is pleased to have Joe Canuso join our full season, after appearing in and directing multiple events for our Reading Series and Beckett Side Show Series. Joe will take on the role of the glad-handing director of the asylum, Coulmier. Joe was part of the Barrymore award-winning ensemble of Glengarry Glen Ross with Theatre Exile, for whom he serves as the producing artistic director. Also returning to EgoPo’s stages is Ross Beschler as the hysterical revolutionary Roux. Ross was last seen in Waiting for Godot as Vladimir and has also performed in Exile’s Hunter Gatherers, People’s Light’s End Days as well Gas and Electric Art’s Cabinet of Wonders. Finally, EgoPo company member Sarah Schol takes on the broken songbird, Simonne. Sarah was last seen and heard in EgoPo’s Bluebird, where her voice brought George Crumb’s musical arias to life. EgoPo is thrilled to bring new faces to our audiences. EgoPo is pleased to welcome Steve Wright as the idealistic Marat. Steve is a regular performer in 1812’s This Is The Week That Is….. as well as a familiar face on Azuka’s stage, including his layered performance in Two Rooms. Jered McLenigan comes to EgoPo for the first time as the charismatic Herald. Jered was last seen in Love Jerry, as well as Inis Nua’s Gagarin Way. He was the recipient of the 2009 Barrymore Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play for his multiple roles in It's a Wonderful Life, a Live Radio Play at the Prince Music Theater. Also new to EgoPo is Cindy Spitko, who was recently seen as one the seductive Fates in New Paradise Laboratories’ Fatebook. Cindy will be the off-balanced, cello-playing Rossignol. EgoPo is also pleased to work Andrew Clotworthy as the mandolin-toting Dupret, Josh Totora as the accordion-donning Kolkol, Griffin Stanton-Ameisen as drumming clown Polpoch, Hank Curry as the catatonic, triangle-playing Voltaire. Marat/Sade will feature the musical compositions of Mat Wright. Mat was the recipient of the 2007 Barrymore Award for his musical direction of Mum Puppettheatre’s The Fantasticks. Mat was last seen as the piano-playing priest in the Lantern’s Scapin. Mat will not only compose the score and serve as musical director for Marat/Sade, he will also be seen as the toy-piano playing clown Curcuru. Marat/Sade will be directed by Brenna Geffers, EgoPo’s literary manager. Brenna most recently directed EgoPo’s highly acclaimed Waiting for Godot. Brenna is no stranger to creating daring work that rattles the expectations of the Fringe Festival. She recently directed EgoPo’s runaway fringe hit, Woyzeck as well as the highly touted Mud in the 2007 festival and Masque of the Red Death in the 2005 festival, both under Wandering Rom. Brenna has also directed for Theatre Exile, New City Stage, NYC’s Metropolitan Playhouse among others.
Marat/Sade begins EgoPo’s year-long festival exploring the paramount pieces embodying Theatre of Cruelty. Marat/Sade will open as part of the Philadelphia Live Arts and Fringe Festival. For tickets, contact the Festival Box Office at 215-413-1318 or visit livearts-fringe.org.tickets. Tickets and subscriptions to EgoPo’s year-long festival of Theatre of Cruelty are also available at 800-595-4TIX or at egopo.org. Cast, director and design team are available for phone or email interviews; please contact Lane Savadove at 646-325-7373 to schedule.
