The Living Theatre's original co-founder and artistic director Judith Malina directs the production featuring an ensemble that comprises Johnson Anthony, Louis Williams, Keshav Baggan, Gene Ardor, Antwan Ward, Jade Rothman, Satya Bhabha, Brad Burgess, Morteza Tavakoli, Albert Lamont, John Kohan, Jeff Nash, Bradford Rosenbloom, Brent Bradley and Joshua Roberts.
The Brig won 2007 Obie Awards for director Malina and another for its ensemble of actors. The premiere 1963 production of The Brig won an Obie for best play.
The drama, which depicts the horrid conditions in a U.S. Marine Corps brig during the Korean War, proved to be such a volatile piece of theatre in its 1963 debut that it drew attention from congressman John Lindsay and then Democratic Party district leader of Greenwich Village Ed Koch, who demanded investigations into the conditions of these prisons. The Living Theatre was subsequently seized by the IRS and closed to the public. During the ensuing trial, the court dismissed the tax charges against The Living Theatre but sentenced Judith Malina and co-founder/director Julian Beck to 30 and 60 days, respectively, for contempt of court.
Jonas Mekas' extraordinary film of the production, "The Brig," won the Leone D'Oro for Best Documentary at the Venice Film Festival the following year.
Scenery for the 2007 production is by Julian Beck and Gary Brackett. Lighting and sound design are by Gary Brackett. For further information and tickets, visit www.livingtheatre.org.