Essayist, poet and orator Randolph Bourne is no household name in America - the hunchbacked intellectual who fired the counterculture at the beginning of the last century is hardly remembered beyond his "Youth and Life" and the essay "War Is the Health of the State." His vision still, if anonomously, affects intellectuals today and has inspired the world premiere of John Belluso's The Body of Bourne, playing Los Angeles' Mark Taper Forum May 26-July 15. Opening night is set for June 7.
Body of Bourne traces the brief, but brillant life of a disfigured man who turned to learning instead of bitterness. Although he died at 32 during a great flu epidemic in 1918, he managed to compose three books, more than a hundred essays and was immortalized in John Dos Passos' "U.S.A." trilogy for not living to see the truth of his anti-World War I statements.
Frequent La Jolla Playhouse helmer and resident director at the Mark Taper Forum Lisa Peterson (Wonderland, Triumph of Love) directs Stephen Caffrey, Nicolas Coster, Mitchell Edmonds, Heather Ehlers, Lisa Lovett-Mann, Michele Marsh, Clark Middleton, Jenny O'Hara, Jill Remez, Ann Stocking, Michael Eric Strickland, Jodi Thelen and Christopher Thornton.
Designing The Body of Bourne are Rachel Hauck (sets), Candice Cain (costumes), Geoff Korf (lighting) and Darron L. West (sound). James T. McDermott is the production stage manager.
Tickets are available by calling (213) 628-2772. Taper Forum is located at 135 N. Grand Ave. and on the web at http://www.taperahmanson.com. — By Christine Ehren
