Previews by

Jennifer Chen

Joseph Hearn

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Sarah Kramer

Nikki Usher

Richard Worf

Mildred Yuan

Never Swim Alone

October 12 to 14

by Daniel McIvor

directed by Jordan Berkow '03

produced by Catherine Buchanan '03

Loeb Experimental Theater

In an effort to recruit more student theatergoers, Never Swim Alone presents to Harvard a quick, hour-long and free performance with racy humor embedded in a fast-paced verbal joust. Two men, Frank and Bill, argue about everything from the size of their homes to the quality of their lives to the size of their...you get the idea. Beneath the humor lie subtle references to repressed memories and undertones of violence. In this verbal boxing match, the referee becomes a woman killed in a drowning accident while racing with the men, who as young boys were desperately trying to impress her. The play centers around their attempts at self-validation and redemption from this one horrible day. Thus, this play is a blitzkrieg of strong emotions cloaked with jokes. The small audience size (only 50 seats per performance) may deter some attendance, but it leaves one to imagine how the Loeb-Ex might be arranged with so much more playing space. Similarly, theater in an hour can be a horrible or fantastic experience, but humor can be a cure-all.

Antigone

October 13 to 15

by Jean Anouilh

directed by Nina Sawyer '01

produced by Sue H. Kim '02

Adams House Courtyard

Questions of duty, law and destiny encompass the heart of Antigone. In the Jean Anouilh version of this classic Greek tragedy, French angst envelops the tale of Antigone's challenge to Creon, her uncle and the king's conception of law. Two visions of how life should be lived are presented but only one can survive, with Creon unable to bend his laws and Antigone unwilling to compromise her sense of virtue. Any performance of classical Greek tragedy is a difficult endeavor and the Anouilh version of the play adds yet another layer of complication. Yet the production staff of the show made an interesting choice: to stage this Greek tragedy as it would have been staged in ancient Greece-outside, exposed to the elements. Antigone has the potential to resonate with an audience, especially given the choices that emerge between law and personal beliefs, but it will be interesting to see how this production will present these universal dilemmas wrapped in a somewhat erudite construction.

The Insanity of

Mary Girard

October 19 to 21

by Lanie Robertson

directed by Mimi Asnes '01

produced by Jane Risen '01

Loeb Experimental Theater

Bound at the play's inception in an asylum's "tranquilizing chair," Mary Girard struggles with only more confinement: even after she is freed from the chair, she must confront not only the stigma of being labeled insane but also the ways in which her gender precludes her from acting for herself. Lanie Robertson's short play considers the fluid nature of sanity and sovereignty as it follows Mary and her attendant group of "Furies," who are either inmates of the asylum, creations of Mary's mind or both. Director Mimi Asnes '02, a Women's Studies concentrator, cites Foucault and de Certeau as having influenced her reading of the play. Asnes admits that Robertson's script has some weaker passages but adds that it is "fun and exciting because there is a lot of room for actors to explore movement and sound and relationship." Indeed, Asnes, who designed lighting for the production, has taken great pains to integrate lighting, sound and choreography, counting on this synthesis to maximize the visceral sensory impact of the play.

The Madness of George III

October 20 to 28

by Alan Bennett

directed by Frederick Hood '01

produced by Julia Griffin '03 and Brooke Lampley '02

Loeb Mainstage

Filmed in 1994 as The Madness of King George, Alan Bennett's historical-fictional tale of English monarch George III's bouts of madness was a stage drama before it became a film, and theater is a fitting medium for a play that muses on the theatricality of the monarchy. Chronicling the personal and political fallout of George's episodes of what was probably porphyria, a metabolism disorder affecting factors from urine color to sensitivity to light, Bennett's script is renowned for its wit and inventiveness-and for its difficulty. Director Frederick Hood '01 has the energies of a large cast to focus, and how well he does so will likely determine not whether George III will be an event, which seems predestined, but what sort of adjectives will be recalled to describe it after the fact. Co-producer Julia Griffin '03 remains confident. The technical complexity of the production isn't overwhelming, she notes. Light and sound cues number about 100 for the two-hour-plus run time. And the short time between Common Casting and the performance dates has necessitated a rehearsal period that makes up in intensity what it lacks in duration. Griffin wryly observes that the cast and crew haven't had time to let George III be anything but their top priority.

The Memory of Water

October 22 to November 5

by Shelagh Stephenson

directed by Tegan Shohet '01

produced by Leah Plunkett '01

Loeb Experimental Theater

Years ago scientists took some water from a spa in France that was known for its medical benefits and purified it of all minerals, only to find that it still had the same curative effect on patients: the water, they discovered, had "memory." In the critically acclaimed English play The Memory of Water, three sisters return home for their mother's funeral only to find that their pasts still permeate their world, even though the linchpin, their mother, is gone. Long buried conflicts rise to the fore as the men in their lives pop in unexpectedly. But far from a somber play about death and mourning, The Memory of Water is a hilarious comedy about sex, drugs and the embarrassing details of a shared past. Winner of the London Olivier Award for best comedy, Stephenson's play is sure to bring as much laughter to Harvard as it did to the West End.

The Lower Depths

November 2 to 4

by Maxim Gorky

directed by Max-Joseph Montel

produced by Nicole Ruiz '02 and Suzanne Baron '01

Adams Pool Theater

Dostoyevskian despair mingled with subtle undercurrent of Solzenhitzenian optimism, this classic takes place in a Russian flophouse at the turn of the century. Gorky's denizens all preserve their unmistakable personalities amidst the squalor of their hopeless everyday routine. Max Montel's gentle directing approach should be well-suited for a "Russian-human-condition" show; the ensemble cast will lighten your hearts as they depress you to no end.

Timon of Athens

November 2 to 4

by Shakespeare

directed and produced by Matt Hudson '03

Agassiz Theatre

Historical evidence suggests that this tragedy was not performed in Shakespeare's lifetime and that it may be unfinished. The play is short on action but saturated with emotion; Timon's flaw is his goodness and naivet; he is betrayed and ruined by his friends. The script has been cut significantly-from more than 50 characters to 10, and so you won't have to worry about being locked in for a four-hour tragedy. Timon in this production is being played by a woman, Julie Rattey, not to make any specific feminist point but because she's good. And since the character is written pretty much sexless and supposedly died several thousand years ago, who cares? Stage designer Josh Goldston '01 is creating an atmosphere of ruin and decay within the context of an archaeological excavation. It seems fitting, seeing as Hudson probably had to initiate an excavation of his own just in order to find this play.

Disappeared

November 9 to 11

by Phyllis Nagy

directed by Alison Haskovec '02

produced by Katy Allen '01

Loeb Experimental Theater

In this contemporary mystery kicked off by the disappearance of a young woman from Hell's Kitchen, a cast of eccentric characters embarks on a search for the truth. Laced with endless plot twists and complex characters, Disappeared will keep the audience on their toes. Set in the fast-paced world of modern New York City, the play also explores the intricacies of human interaction in a mystery setting. "It is smartly written," says director Alison Haskovec '02. "All of the characters have interesting, albeit sad tales to tell about their lives." With layers upon layers of complexity, Disappeared is guaranteed to leave the audience thinking. "Nothing is in black and white-no single person can be put to blame and no one is guiltless," says the director.

Shrew

November 9 to 11

based on The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare

directed by Julia Jarcho '03

produced by Kathy Bencowitz '03

The Kronauer Space

This adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew features only four actors, one for Petruchio ("the tamer"), one for Kate ("the shrew"), one for Kate's sister Bianca and one for everyone else. This should be the perfect environment for the repartee between Kate and Petruchio, in the Shakespearean play that just might qualify for the record of most insults per square inch. But with lines like, "Thy husband is thy life, thy lord, thy keeper" in the conclusion, the director has some explaining to do to a modern audience. This production takes the approach that the play is more of a love story than a polemic on submission to one's husband. The show will also use movement and music to drive at the heart of why Kate changes from perennial bitch to adoring spouse.

Sweet Charity

November 10 to 18

by Neil Simon

directed by Jim Augustine '01 and Katy Walsh '01

produced by Libby Shani '02

Loeb Mainstage

With dance moves from the legendary Bob Fosse, Neil Simon's 1960s tale of a young woman's desire for romance comes to life on the Loeb Mainstage. Through several twists in the plot, the audience will learn the answer to the question: Will Charity ever find true love? Undoubtedly one of the most talked about productions this season, Sweet Charity promises to leave the audience starving for more. The combination of a dedicated, amazing cast, Bob Fosse's dance extravaganza and changes made by directors Jim Augustine and Katy Walsh to maintain the musical's intimacy with the audience will make this an unforgettable event. Also watch out for a surprise ending, one that will bring both a sense of loss and reality to Neil Simon's story.

Kiss of the Spider Woman

November 9 to 18

by Terrence McNally

directed by Sara Heller '02

produced by Geoff Harriman '01 and Heather Stone '01

Agassiz Theater

Kiss of a Spider Woman is a drama of two men in an Argentine prison struggling not only to survive but to discover what is worth dying for. Director Sara Heller describes what attracted her to this musical, saying "it is not at all a 'typical' musical; it has something to say and says it with flare. Our hope is that the audience will leave haunted by the characters and the choices they have made." In addition to a superb plotline, also watch out for a chilling, sensuous score.