As previously reported, the National Theatre of Scotland's Black Watch, which has earned critical and audience praise during its numerous international engagements, will return to the Brooklyn venue Oct. 9-Nov. 30.
Created from personal testimonies of Scotland's legendary army regiment, the ten-member docudrama incorporates military drills, song, video and historical sequences to reveal an up-close account of the Iraq war. Black Watch is penned by Gregory Burke and directed by John Tiffany.
The world premiere of Dan Hurlin's Disfarmer, a puppet theatre work, will run Jan. 27-Feb. 8, 2009. Inspired by the career of portrait photographer Mike Disfarmer, the work "recreates a visceral sense of the photographer's interior and exterior worlds, illuminating the contradictions in the life of this American hermit whose intimate and revealing portraiture documented an entire community."
Mabou Mines will present their take on Ibsen in Dollhouse, running Feb. 12-March 9, 2009. Dollhouse "turns Ibsen's mythic feminist 'anthem' on its head by physicalizing the equation of power and scale. The male characters are played by actors whose heights range from 3’4” to 4’5”, while the female characters are played by actors nearly 6’ tall. They perform on a dollhouse set with child-sized furniture."
The U.S. premiere of La Didone, from the Wooster Group, will be presented March 17-April 26, 2009. Combining Francesco Cavalli's baroque opera of the same title and Mario Bava's 1965 cult movie "Terrore nello spazio," the Wooster Group presents "a 21st-century retelling of an ancient tale about the destructive (and redemptive) power of erotic passion and the sheer tenacity of human nature in the face of annihilation." La Didone will be directed by Elizabeth LeCompte with music direction by Bruce Odland. The cast includes Hai-Ting Chinn (mezzo soprano), Ari Fliakos, Jennifer Griesbach (keyboard), Hank Heijink (theorbo, baroque guitar), Andrew Nolen (bass), Kamala Sankaram (soprano, accordian), Scott Shepherd, Harvey Valdes (electric guitar), Kate Valk, Judson Williams and John Young (tenor).
In the spring Cynthia Hopkins will offer The Success of Failure (or, the Failure of Success), running May 22-June 7, 2009. The work is the third part of Hopkins' Accidental Trilogy, which also includes Accidental Nostalgia and Must Don't Whip 'Um.
Featuring design collaborators Jim Findlay and Jeff Sugg, the "inter-galactic tale is told through Hopkins' signature hybrid of storytelling forms, including text, heart-wrenching songs, innovative orchestral environments, and immersive, handcrafted videoscapes."
Tickets may be purchased by phoning (718) 254-8779 or online at St.Anns.
St. Ann's Warehouse is located at 38 Water Street (between Main and Dock St.) in Brooklyn, New York.
