SUMMER CABARET ANNOUNCES OPENING NIGHT PERFORMANCE OF WOYZECK
Under the leadership of Artistic Director Kristina Mendicino and Resident Artistic Director Tea Alagic,
Summer Cabaret (at Yale) is pleased to announce the opening night performance of Woyzeck by Georg Buchner with a new translation by Artistic Director Kristina Mendicino. Woyzeck runs from June 15-June25. Single tickets are $15-$22 and subscriptions are $36-$58. Groups of ten or more can purchase tickets for $15 per individual. Tickets can be reserved ahead of time by calling (203) 432-1567 and can be purchased at the door prior to performances (subject to availability). Special events will take place on June 11, June 24, and June 23. Post-performance discussions are on Thursday and Saturday nights for Woyzeck, and Thursday nights only for the rest of the productions.
All productions are performed at 217 Park Street, New Haven, Connecticut with performances taking placeat 8PM Wednesday through Saturday of the first week of each production’s run and Tuesday through Saturday of the second week of each production’s run. Doors open for dinner and drinks at 6:30.
Tea Alagic’s production of Woyzeck (June 15-25) promises to be a work that is not to be missed. Alagic is a master of imagery. She is able to draw beautiful essentials out of her texts while pointing to tragic complexities. Woyzeck tells the story of a soldier as he encounters colleagues, medical professionals who think he is crazy, the woman he loves and kills, and the man that his “common law wife” lusts after. This story of unraveling and loss of control will be told through Alagic’s striking imagery and a new translation by Artistic Director Kristina Mendicino. Past interpretations of Woyzeck have ranged from the large-scale Robert Wilson production at Brooklyn Academy of Music (2002) to a recent, small-scaled, small-cast version in Croatia. As a native of Bosnia, Alagic’s conception of the piece will be informed by images from the production in Croatia as will the sensibility of Sarah Kane, a young playwright who, following her suicide in 1999, has posthumously become popular in theaters across Europe and the United States. Concerned with issues of psychology, violence, and war, Woyzeck is both relevant to today’s political climate and the oldest work amongst season’s offerings.
This season, Summer Cabaret is specifically adapting its work to the current social, political, and economic conditions that are faced in the local community and the world. This sensibility will manifest itself in a politically conscious theater that poses questions relevant to the present, turbulent affairs of state, while maintaining a commitment to aesthetic innovation and standards that heavy-handed political theater could not. While remaining charged in relation to the issues of the day and committed to a challenging aesthetic, however, Summer Cabaret will be equally concerned that its theater has popular appeal and draws upon the contemporary modes of communication and iconology of today’s culture.
As a special event during Summer Cabaret’s run of Woyzeck, Summer Cabaret and Debby Applegate—a leading supporter of Summer Cabaret— will be hosting a Gala Night on June 24 that features a pre-show performance by The Amazing Russello—a New York magician and performance artist— and a special fixed menu reflecting Cabaret’s origins in Germany, Poland, and France. The Gala is $40 in addition to the cost of a ticket for the evening performance. Call 203-432-8338 to reserve for the Gala Night.
On June 23, at 6:30, Kristina Mendicino will give a free lecture, “Life is a Cabaret”, at New Haven Free Public Library. Call 203-432-8338 for information.
Kristina Mendicino, Artistic Director of Summer Cabaret 2005, is a first-year student in the Dramaturgy Program at Yale School of Drama. During her undergraduate years at Dartmouth College she served as the dramaturg for play such as Laughing Wild, by Christopher Durang; The Apple Tree by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick; and Dona Rosita, The Spinster, by Frederico Garcia Lorca. Currently, Mendicino is dramaturg for Hedda Gabler, by Henrik Ibsen; and Alone, a new work by Terrell McCraney (MFA candidate, Yale School of Drama, 2007). In the fall of 2005, Mendicino collaborated with Summer Cabaret Associate Artistic Director Tea Alagic and created a work based on Alex DeTocquville’s Democracy in America and The Bill of Rights. Tea Alagic, Resident Artistic Director, of Summer Cabaret 2005, has worked with cutting edge multi-media artist and director Robert LePage, as well as with the famous New York City avant-gardist Richard Foreman. Her numerous acting credits have taken her all over the world (including Edinburgh’s International Fringe Festival; Royal National Theatre, London; Brooklyn Academy of Music, United States; Salzberg Festpiele, Austria), and in 1997 Alagic founded her own New York City-based theatre company, Stateless (dedicated to new work, international artists, and multi-media). Alagic is currently a first-year MFA candidate in Directing at Yale School of Drama and her recent directing debut at the term-time Cabaret was noted in the Yale Dale News as being exceptionally strong in its directing. Zane Pihlstrom is the costume and set designer for Woyzeck. Gina Scherr is the lighting designer and Brian MacQueen is the sound designer. Iva Simcic is the video artist for the production.
Advanced Season Tickets (Subscriptions) for Summer Cabaret are now on sale through the Box Office reservation number, (203) 432-1567 or at the door prior to performances (subject to availability). Subscriptions are $36-$58 (four plays for $58 full price; $48 for seniors; and $36 for students).
Individual tickets and group tickets can be reserved by calling (203) 432-1567 or at the door prior to performances (subject to availability). Individual tickets for Summer Cabaret are $15-$22 ($15 students; $18.50 seniors; $22 full price). All productions are performed at 217 Park Street, New Haven, Connecticut with performances taking place at 8PM Wednesday through Saturday of the first week of each production’s run and Tuesday through Saturday of the second week of each production’s run.
Summer Cabaret was founded in 1974. It is dedicated to providing emerging professionals with the opportunity to explore innovative artistic and/or managerial concepts in theatrical production. In addition to its on-stage productions, Summer Cabaret aims to provide library lectures that help establish and maintain deeper, richer community relations in New Haven while increasing awareness of the arts. Summer cabaret gratefully acknowledges the support of The New Haven Advocate, Ideal Printing, CT Presort, The Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, and WSHU.