A Noise Within, led by producing artistic directors Geoff Elliott and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, announces its 23rd season of classic theater in Southern California. Informed by the climate of social and economic upheaval in which we live, the season’s theme – reflected in a kaleidoscopic palette of plays – is REVOLUTION.
“We have always crafted overarching themes for our repertory seasons,” says Geoff Elliott, “but none has presented itself as organically and viscerally as this year’s.” Julia Rodriguez-Elliott reinforces this notion, adding, “In many ways, the idea of REVOLUTION had entered our collective consciousness in ways that all but dared us not to embrace it. As a director, I am especially energized by the concept of ‘disorderly conduct’ – both because it appears as a theme in every one of these plays, and because wherever we look, it is rearing its head in the forms of civic, social, and political unrest.” The company’s revolutionary season will include:
The Tempest by William Shakespeare, starring Deborah Strang as Prospero, Julius Caesar, also by Shakespeare
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde,
The Dance of Death (Part 1) by August Strindberg
The Threepenny Opera by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill
Figaro by Beaumarchais, adapted by Charles Morey
And for the holidays, A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, adapted for the stage by Geoff Elliott.
The theme inspires the new season’s staging as well: for the first time ever, A Noise Within unveils REVOLUTIONRep. On three spring dates, audiences will have the option to experience a heady day of theatre when The Threepenny Opera and Julius Caesar are presented on the same set sequentially. This is an event that brims with talks by noted experts, chats with cast and crew, a deckside dinner, and lively social interaction with other theatergoers.
Says Rodriguez-Elliott, “REVOLUTIONRep is the kind of event I dreamed about from the first time I saw our new home (the former Stuart Pharmaceutical Building in East Pasadena). It promises a completely new theatrical experience, one where we forge alliances among our patrons, company, and cast – and also celebrates the magnificently diverse communities we serve.”
“Patrons will enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the repertory process,” says Geoff Elliott, “and get a glimpse of how its interlocking components allow us to present so wide a variety of theatre all season long. Chief among these are our nurturing of Resident Artists, a focus on ingenious stagecraft, and unwavering commitment to the participation of guest directors, actors, and behind-the-scenes crew. What results is a creative cauldron that constantly bubbles with new ideas and theatrical invention.”
For 2014-15 subscription tickets: (626) 356-3100 x 1 or go to www.anoisewithin.org.
Shakespeare in LA 