vol. 5 no. 2 November, 2006 IN THIS ISSUE: WINGS OF DESIRE starts November 25 THE ONION CELLAR starts December 9 THE IMPORTANCE ARTicles OF BEING EARNEST starts December 21 THE PERFECT HOLIDAY GIFT! A TASTE of the A.R.T. 3 plays for only $75 Complete season list on page 2. How to order on back page. Rock My World New music takes center stage Wings Wings of Desire of Desire The Onion Cellar Britannicus Catch the Classics Great plays, great literature Oliver Twist Britannicus No Man’s Land The Importance Hands across of Being Earnest the Atlantic Brilliant artists from England, Holland, & South Africa Wings of Desire The Importance of Being Earnest Elections & Erections or choose ANY three! The Onion Cellar NEW! 50 at $15 50 seats for every show ONLY $15! On sale at noon on day of s how. by phone, in person, or at amrep.org based on availability

SEASON SPONSORED BY A.R.T.’s 2006-07 SEASON CONTINUES

WINGS OF DESIRE FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR November 25 – December 17 Loeb Stage Dear Friends, stage adaptation* by Ola Mafaalani, Gideon Lester, and Ko van den Bosch In early October I joined the company of directed by Ola Mafaalani in association with Toneelgroep Amsterdam Wings of Desire in Amsterdam for the Dutch pre - miere of our co-production with Toneelgroep Damiel, a guardian angel, is weary of his eternal exis - Amsterdam. Theatre is at the center of culture in the tence observing and cataloging the ways of mankind. When he falls in love with a lonely trapeze artist, he Netherlands, and Toneelgroep Amsterdam is the resolves to sacrifice his wings and his immortality to center of theatre. join her on earth — and to taste human life. Based on Wings of Desire was created by the com - Wim Wenders’ unforgettable film, Wings of Desire is bined forces of performers, dramaturgs, technicians, about the borders, visible and invisible, that divide us — borders between East and West, between angels and administrators from the Dutch company and the and people, between two human beings. A.R.T. It marks a great leap for us in our role as a *A stage adaptation of the film Wings of Desire , directed by Wim theatre that creates work with international artists at Wenders, with screenplay by Wim Wenders, Peter Handke, and our home in Cambridge. The project began four Richard Reitinger. years ago when I met the Syrian/Dutch director Ola See page 4 Mafaalani in Germany. I saw her stunning produc - tion of The Merchant of Venice , and admired the alternating currents of toughness and soul which she has also brought to the creation of Wings of Desire . The production, THE ONION which opens at the A.R.T. Thanksgiving weekend, is one of poetic beauty and vibrancy, CELLAR and I’m proud that we’re able to bring it to you. December 9 – January 13 Zero Arrow Theatre Soon after the opening of Wings of Desire we’ll be welcoming The Dresden featuring The Dresden Dolls Dolls to Zero Arrow Theatre for the premiere of The Onion Cellar . Both productions conceived, written, and designed by have strong musical backbones. The Dolls have a passionate following from their home Amanda Palmer, Jonathan Marc Sherman, Marcus Stern, and Christine Jones in Boston to Europe and beyond, while Andy Moor, who composed the score for Wings directed by Marcus Stern of Desire , is beloved for his solo career and as member of The Ex, the supreme Dutch band who have played many gigs at the Middle East in Cambridge. To present the The Dresden Dolls are taking the world by storm. This music of two such eminent rockers simultaneously will surely set the city ablaze. Boston-based theatrical duo are incredible musicians whose smart, personal, intricate songs and mesmeriz - Meanwhile we’re well into the design process for my upcoming production of ing live performance have earned them a cult following. Racine’s Britannicus . I’m working with Ricardo Hernandez, who, as you’ll remember Now don’t tell anyone, but there’s a rumor that the Dolls from his set designs for Uncle Vanya , Romeo and Juliet , and Desire Under the Elms , may be appearing at an underground club somewhere delights in transforming the volume of the Loeb Theatre, so that we see the stage and in Cambridge — an onion cellar, where the audience peels onions for emotional release, where your life auditorium in entirely new ways with each production. The set for Britannicus will be could change forever. a kind of installation on the stage, and the production will incorporate video in ways that are new both for me and for the A.R.T. See page 8 Britannicus will be sandwiched between an amazing Importance of Being Earnest – brought to us by the British duo Ridiculusmus, two incredible performers who between them play all the parts in Wilde’s comedy – and Neil Bartlett’s elegant, inven - THE IMPORTANCE tive adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist , steeped in the traditions of Victorian OF BEING EARNEST music hall and melodrama. December 21 – February 11 These three productions promise to fill the A.R.T. with light and warmth, even in Loeb Stage the depths of the New England winter. I look forward to welcoming you to the theatre by Oscar Wilde for all three shows. As always, you can reach me at [email protected] if you performed by Ridiculusmus have any comments or thoughts. directed by Jude Kelly You’ve never seen an Earnest like this! Oscar Wilde’s Best wishes, classic comedy of identity fraud receives a riotous new treatment from Ridiculusmus, two comic virtuosos who play all the parts — from Earnest to Lady Bracknell — Robert Woodruff themselves, just the two of them. This virtuosic inter - pretation of Wilde’s irrepressible caper has been received with wild acclaim around the world, and we’re delighted to welcome it to the States for the first time. Produced in association with the Loeb Drama Center See page 10 2 ARTicles Choose any 3 or more plays and save! All subscriptions save you money and time OR TRY THE NEW “TASTE OF THE A.R.T.” 3 Plays for only $75! (some restrictions apply, see back page for details)

OLIVER TWIST February 17 – March 24 Loeb Stage based on the novel by Charles Dickens adapted and directed by Neil Bartlett in association with Theatre for a New Audience, New York Inspired by the vivid world of Victorian music hall, Neil Bartlett’s staging of Oliver Twist uses the original lan - guage of Dickens’ novel to dramatize one of the most deeply felt stories about childhood ever written. A cast of unforgettable characters brings the underworld of nineteenth-century London back to thrilling life — a city Nero teeming with images of danger and fear — all seen through the eyes of an astonished child. By turns comic and tragic, musical and dramatic, Bartlett’s adaptation of Oliver Twist was a runaway success in London. We’re thrilled to welcome him back to the A.R.T., BRITANNICUS together with designer Rae Smith, to recreate this sen - January 20 – February 11 sational production for our audience. Loeb Stage by Jean Racine directed by Robert Woodruff ELECTIONS & The Emperor Nero is running wild, leaving a mass of political and personal scandals in his wake. When he ERECTIONS attempts to seduce the girlfriend of his half-brother A Memoir of Fear and Fun Britannicus, Nero’s mother, the mighty Agrippina, steps Pieter-Dirk Uys April 4 – May 6 in to prevent him, and chaos ensues. Artistic Director Zero Arrow Theatre Robert Woodruff will direct Racine’s magnificent play written and performed by Pieter-Dirk Uys –– part political thriller, part gripping family drama, set in a palace at the center of the empire where private We invite you to spend an evening in the company of and public worlds collide. Operatic in its passions and Nelson and Winnie Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Mrs. Evita composed in some of the most beautiful poetry ever Bezuidenhout (“the most famous white woman in South written for the stage, Britannicus is a tautly-plotted Africa”) and of course their alter ego, the master-satirist masterpiece. Pieter-Dirk Uys. After the phenomenal success of Foreign AIDS in 2005’s South African Festival, we’re delighted that Pieter is returning to Zero Arrow to per - form Elections and Erections , his latest, most outra - geous attack on political outrage, that underlines the “mock” in democracy and exposes the “con” in recon - ciliation. Produced in association with the Loeb Drama Center. NO MAN’S LAND May 12 – June 10 No Man’s Land Loeb Stage David Wheeler features Max Wright by Harold Pinter (below with Alf) directed by David Wheeler and Paul Benedict (at right with Thomas Derrah) Spooner and Hirst are two aging writers, locked in the no man’s land of late middle age. They meet on Hampstead Heath and return to Hirst’s home for a late- night session of witty banter, sinister power games, and the worship of alcohol. Harold Pinter’s elegant, haunt - ing play is part mystery drama, part homage to the ghosts of the past, and the fiction of memory. David Wheeler returns to the A.R.T. to direct this tragicomic gem from Britain’s Nobel Prize-winning playwright.

ARTicles 3 Angels on Stage Gideon Lester introduces Wings of Desire . which shows you how far we’ve come! The adap - and we’ll have to find ways to enhance it in the Q: What kind of tation has taken many turns; for a long while we A.R.T. version. challenges? thought that the production might be set in New Q: Why is it important? G.L.: York City. There’s a dreadful coincidence in the fact G.L.: Both the film and the production are First, there are that the wound of 9/11 was inflicted exactly at the about boundaries and divisions, and the great effort profound differ - birthplace of modern America, on the site of the one person has to make to achieve real contact ences between Dutch colony of New Amsterdam at the southern tip with another. In the film those boundaries were the construction of Manhattan. We imagined that the angels might exemplified by the Berlin Wall; when Damiel of stage plays have watched its development from a tiny, hard - becomes human, he does so by passing through and screenplays. scrabble trading settlement to one of the greatest the Wall itself. The international aspect of the stage Filmmakers have twenty-first century metropolises; the version creates a different kind of division, or you many narrative Dutch/American nature of the could say a bridge, between and composition - co-production made the histori - Europe and the States. al devises at their cal nexus seem very attractive When I watched the open - disposal that are for a while. But we eventually “POETIC, ing night performance in unavailable in the abandoned it, along with several celebrating life Amsterdam, I realized that theatre; jump other bad ideas! The final ver - Ola is also exploring the cuts, close ups, sion is remarkably simple, and through love!” division between the stage subjective cam - stays very faithful to the lan - – de Telegraaf and the audience – indeed era shots, mon - guage of the screenplay. In the - the production creates a tage, and so on. atre you often travel a very long kind of bridge there too, One of the princi - road to return to your starting although I don’t want to give pal subjects of place. “A GIFT, too much away. Wings of Desire Q: If not in Berlin, where is and a magnificent Q: You translated is film itself – it’s the production set? the screenplay into English. an example of G.L.: On the stage – or viewing experience!” Can you talk about the lan - what you might rather, in the theatre, where the guage of the film? call self-con - audience and the actors sit – de Groene Amsterdammer G.L.: It contains scious cinema. Peter Falk is in Berlin to make a together and look at each other. two very different modes of Wings of Desire is an international collaboration historical movie, and the screenplay reflects on the Ola’s work is never about illusion language. Much of the dia - between the A.R.T. and Toneelgroep Amsterdam, way that film reconstructs and reconstitutes history. or pretence; what you see is logue in the film was improvised, and many scenes the Netherlands’ foremost theatre company. The There is also something self-consciously cinemat - what you get. She doesn’t like her actors to pre - – particularly those involving Peter Falk – have a production opened in Amsterdam in early October, ic in the way the camera appears to watch the tend to be other people – she introduces them to very conversational quality. But Wenders also col - and tours the Netherlands and Belgium before world from an angel’s perspective – for example, the audience as themselves. The set doesn’t rep - laborated with the great Austrian poet and play - arriving at the A.R.T. Gideon Lester, the A.R.T.’s the film shifts from black-and-white while Damiel is resent anything, it’s exactly what it looks like – a wright Peter Handke, who wrote the inner thoughts Associate Artistic Director, translated the German an angel to color when he becomes human. It was - snack bar where life unfolds in real time, where the of Marion, the trapeze artist, as well as several of screenplay of Wings of Desire into English and n’t at all obvious at first how those ideas could be men and women on stage eat, drink coffee, smoke, the angels’ scenes, the monologues of Homer, the was a dramaturg on the production. ARTicles translated to the stage, or even if they should be. and so on. A glorious trapeze artist performs over mysterious ancient poet, and Damiel’s poem caught up with him shortly after he returned from Second, Wings of Desire is a product of a very par - their heads, two musicians are playing to one side, “When the child was a child” that recurs throughout Amsterdam and the Dutch premiere. ticular place and time – from time to time a well-known newsreader reads the film as a kind of chorus. Handke’s language is Berlin during the 1980s, bulletins of today’s actual news, but all those peo - elliptical and poetic, and is almost impossible to Q: Wings of Desire while the city was divided ple, all those elements, are no more and no less render directly in English. He’s one of the greatest is arguably one of the I think at heart by the Wall. We now live in than what they seem to be. Everyone and every - writers of the contemporary stage, but we almost greatest films of the late a radically different world, thing is real and tangible, which I twentieth century. Why whose identity was to a think makes the production beauti - adapt it for the stage? we’d all like to believe considerable extent shaped fully straightforward and alive. It’s Gideon Lester: by the demolition of that a great counterpart to Wenders’ The idea came from Ola that our lives are Wall. Even if it were possi - film, which is so much about the Mafaalani, the produc - ble, it wouldn’t have made mundane details of daily life in tion’s Syrian-born direc - much sense to recreate Berlin – the real Berlin where the tor, who I think is one of being watched, that environment on stage, movie was shot, not a mockup on Europe’s most exciting because the context is so a Hollywood sound stage. There’s young theatre makers. and perhaps given different. If you want to see no make-believe involved in either Robert Woodruff had Berlin in the 80s, watch the the film or the theatre, except for seen her work and invit - movie – it does it much bet - the one, central make-believe that ed her to direct a project some meaning, ter than the theatre can. So the action is being observed by at the A.R.T., and Ola’s we knew from the onset angels. And since everything first suggestion was an by silent, that, if Wings of Desire around them is so real, the angels adaptation of Wings of were to succeed in the the - are thrown into a kind of high relief, Desire . For several atre, it would need to take which makes their presence very years she has been compassionate on a new artistic existence. moving. I think at heart we’d all incorporating angels into The adaptation process like to believe that our lives are never see his work performed in the States her productions; her would need to be very thor - being watched, and perhaps thereby given some because the language is so difficult. One of the col - Romeo and Juliet , beings. ough; this was never going meaning, by silent, compassionate observers. lateral pleasures of Wings of Desire is that we’re Othello , and Macbeth to be about attempting to Q: You mentioned that the production will be presenting Handke at the A.R.T. for the first time. all featured angels who bore silent witness to the reproduce the film on stage. somewhat different at the A.R.T. than it was in unfolding narratives, powerless to affect their tragic Q: How did you proceed with the adaptation? Europe. Can you give an example? Gideon Lester is the A.R.T.’s outcome. One day Ola’s dramaturg gave her the G.L.: The process took well over a year, and G.L.: The most obvious difference will be in Associate Artistic Director. screenplay of Wings of Desire and Ola realized that we’re probably not finished yet; the version per - the language. The Dutch are almost all perfectly her use of angels had been inspired by the film, formed at the A.R.T. will be somewhat different from fluent in English, which meant that in Amsterdam which she had seen when it was released in 1987 the show in Amsterdam, even though most of the the actors could effortlessly switch between the two top left: foreground: Mam Smith, Bernard White, and Fedja van Huêt in the Amsterdam production but which she had more or less forgotten. We were cast will be the same. We began by compiling a lit - languages, confident that the audience would of Wings of Desire . very excited by the idea, though there were obvi - eral translation into Dutch and English of the understand them in both. Obviously that’s not the ously huge challenges to be faced in the adaptation above: Mam Smith, Hadewych Minis in the German screenplay, camera angles and all. That case in Boston, so we’ll use Dutch only very spar - Amsterdam production of Wings of Desire . process. original document was about three hundred pages ingly, mainly for its musical quality. But the interna - production photos by Jan Versweyweld long, and our current script is just over forty pages, tional quality is very important to the production, top right: Gideon Lester and Ola Mafaalani 4 ARTicles FallingR aiy Cnarnety inotrod uctes Whim eWen deWrs’ film oWingrs olf Dd esire .

the prison of solipsism into forms of personal free - But Wenders takes pains to emphasize that dom, connection, and interaction. Two occur at there is a deficiency in the angels’ beautiful, free- the bottom of the chain of being and two at the top. ranging powers of imaginative sympathy and com - On the primitive end, there are the flights of flocks passion. Their virtue is that they are detached from of birds visible in the sky in a few scenes, stun - the complications and confusions of non-angelic ningly coordinated and magnificently responsive, life – that they rise above the corporeality of the wheeling and turning in perfect synchrony. And body and the mess of the mundane. But that is there is the play of children, illustrated by groups of also their limitation. As Blake puts it in The kids playing a video game, fishing for coins in a Marriage of Heaven and Hell , they gain certainty storm drain, and seeing how high they can jump. and confidence at the It is as if both groups pre - expense of replacing the con - serve their freedom by fusion of life with “systematic functioning below the cor - The angels exemplify reasoning.” Damiel, the angel ruptions of culture: the played by Bruno Ganz, sum - birds are part of a system breathtaking marizes Wenders’ reserva - of nature that human cul - tions about the limitations of ture has not despoiled and capacities of being an angel when he tells the children are too young, angel cohort Cassiel (played innocent, and emotionally movement across by Otto Sandler) that the puri - open to have yet erected ty of an imaginative relation to the barriers of self-con - and beyond all of the experience is not enough. He sciousness and defensive - longs to experience the mess, ness that trap their par - earth’s physical opacity, and partiality of the ents. earthbound world. He longs The other two modes and imaginative to know what no angel can of moving through or know: “It would be nice to across walls – or of leaving boundaries. feed the cat, to get ink from them behind – are exem - the newspaper on my fingers, plified by the readers, writers, and researchers at to be excited not just by the mind but by a meal . . the library and by the angels. The library scenes, . to feel your bones moving, to live in the now, to filmed at the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, one of the guess instead of knowing.” That wish leads Damiel city’s most magnificent architectural spaces, give out of the library and away from the streets and into the viewer a visual experience at the opposite the oddest and most complex imaginative space in remove from the dinginess of the film’s apartments the film: the circus where Damiel sees and falls in and the confinement of its automobiles. The love with the trapeze artist Marion (played by openness and spaciousness of the interior of the Wenders’ then-girlfriend Solveig Donmartin). Staatsbibliothek is Wenders’ visual representation In a brilliant visual coup de théâtre , at the pre - of the imaginative expansions of view the library cise point Damiel resolves to give up his state of Gustave Doré's illustration for Milton's Paradise Lost: Satan's fall . . . . " provides. Its books and maps take researchers on pure spirituality, Wenders switches the film’s pho - journeys that leave worldly walls, boundaries, and tography from the abstraction of beautifully “I have always found that angels have the vanity to they call their cars. barriers behind. Writers and story-tellers (repre - nuanced black-and-white (representing the angels’ speak of themselves as the only wise; this they do But the most important walls that alienate and sented by a character named Homer played by vet - point of view) to the distracting busyness of garish - with a confident insolence sprouting from system - estrange individuals in Wings of Desire are imagi - eran actor Curt Bois in one of his final performanc - ly oversaturated and mismatched color (represent - atic reasoning.” native and emotional – the personal barriers and es) navigate seas of time and thought that are bliss - ing that of humans). Like Dorothy transported to — William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell boundaries that individuals erect around them - fully free of the provincialism of national boundaries the colorful Oz, we and Damiel suddenly realize selves that separate parent from child, husband and the limitations of a mere - rom Jacob to George Bailey, men have wres - from wife, boyfriend from girlfriend, and individuals ly personal point-of-view. (It is tled with angels and angels have wrestled with from their own more hopeful selves. The initial telling that Wenders includes men. The twist Wim Wenders gives the story scenes of the film – in the apartment building, on globes in several of the library Fin Wings of Desire is to have angels wrestle with the highway, and on the subway present an anthol - scenes, globes that signifi - themselves. The last artist to do that was John ogy of the ways people lock themselves in mental cantly lack markings denoting Milton, and the angel was named Satan. prisons of their own creation. Wenders’ camera the divisions of man-made Wenders’ angels are neither guardian nor sweeps across a panorama of states of self-creat - political and ideological avenging. They are witnesses – ideal observers ed ontological solitary confinement defined by char - boundaries.) who move from time to time, acters’ despairs, fears, It is no coincidence that the place to place, and person to doubts, and disappoint - film’s angels use the library as person, eavesdropping on the See the film at the ments. Wenders posi - a kind of headquarters and most secret thoughts, most tions characters behind rendezvous point, since the private moments in peoples’ Coolidge Corner car windows and wind - flights of imagination that writ - lives – and deaths. shields or shoots them ers and readers embark on The controlling Theater standing on the other side there are the earthly equiva - metaphor of the film is that the of plate-glass windows, lent of what the angels them - earthly characters inhabit a See page 13 for details. suggesting the extent to selves do as spiritual Solveig Dommartin as the trapeze artist Marion in the film Wings of Desire. world of endless, ubiquitous which even when some - observers. The angels walls. It is not accidental that one is conspicuously visi - exemplify breathtaking capacities of movement that we’re not in Kansas anymore. Wenders sets his film in Berlin at the height of the ble, he or she can still be cut off imaginatively, across and beyond all of the earth’s physical and The visual, social, and imaginative Cold War. In 1987, when the movie was made, the sequestered in his or her own private emotional imaginative boundaries. In effect, they unite the dif - space represented by the circus contrasts in every city was politically, ideologically, and linguistically world, trapped in the secrecy of consciousness. ferent capabilities of birds, children, and thinkers in possible way with the film’s other spaces. sliced up like a jigsaw puzzle, and the wall that sep - Notwithstanding all of its crowds and groups, the one identity. They are able to glide through – and Physically, it is open and without walls rather than arated East from West was an omnipresent fact. world Wenders presents is a frighteningly lonely see beyond – every earthly imaginative wall, small and sealed-off like the rooms of the apart - As if those national and geopolitical divisions aren’t place, one in which both angels and men have boundary, and separation, bridging gaps and see - ment building and the cars on the freeway. But bad enough, Wenders further separates and seg - ample reason to declare, like Marlowe’s Doctor ing things temporally, spatially, and emotionally instead of being monumental in scale, solid in its regates his characters within a series of boxes with - Faustus, “Why, this is hell, nor am I out of it.” whole as no terrestrial inhabitant can – darting, div - presence, and fixed in its status like the library, this in boxes: the rooms, businesses, factories, institu - Wenders imagines only a few openings in this ing, swooping from past to present, from here to tions, and glass and metal cocoons – or coffins – world of walls – a few possibilities of breaking out of there, at the speed of thought. ARTicles 5 bound observers, imaginatively jumping from place making Wings of Desire . Most of the film’s dialogue WINGS OF DESIRE to place and time to time, reading people’s minds was improvised, many of its scenes were created at a glance and expressing their thoughts, they are doing on the spur of the moment, and much of its pho - November 25 – December 17 • Loeb Stage exactly what a camera does and what pieces of film tography was grabbed. (Wenders was, in fact, so stage adaptation by Ola Mafaalani, Gideon Lester, and Ko van den Bosch spliced together in a Moviola and the manipulations committed to a carnivalesque notion of life and art after the film Wings of Desire by Wim Wenders of dialogue and music on the soundtrack of a movie that his original intention was to end his movie with with screenplay by Wim Wenders, Peter Handke, and Richard Reitinger do in a conventional film. Damiel’s declaration of a pie fight.) Damiel’s fall to earth is an embrace of directed by Ola Mafaalani dissatisfaction with the frictionlessness set and lighting design Andre Joosten of his visionary rela - costume design Regine Standfoos tion to the world is music and sound design Andy Moor Wenders’ own additional music Jesse Lenat and Hadewych Minis expression of dis - in association with Toneelgroep Amsterdam satisfaction with the CAST traditional filmmak - Damiel, an angel Bernard White er’s idealized rela - Cassiel, an angel Mark Rosenthal tion to his material. Marion, a trapeze artist Mam Smith Beautiful ideas, a former angel Stephen Payne pure souls, and Homer, an immortal poet Frieda Pittoors exalted spiritual thoughts/live music Jesse Lenat experiences are not Hadewych Minis enough. The word dying man Fred Goessens must be embodied, news reader Robin Young made flesh, made Frieda Pittoors, Hadewych Minis, and Fred Goessens are appearing with the permission of Actors’ Equity Association. The Producers gratefully real. It must be acknowledge Actors’ Equity Association for its assistance of this production. Solveig Dommartin, Bruno Ganz, and Paul Busch in the film. tasted, touched, SYNOPSIS experienced, and undergone, not merely seen and compromising political, social, and imaginative real - thought. How can art lower a ladder down into ities that dovetails with Wenders’ own use of Berlin Damiel and Cassiel are angels, assigned for eternity to observe and catalogue human behavior. Yeats’ “foul rag and bone shop of the heart,” and as a location and his inclusion of painful, personal Damiel has begun to yearn for more than his remote, spiritual existence; he learns for human contact, for function not as an escape from, but an act of World War II documentary footage in his narrative. physical sensation, and for love. He encounters Marion, a lonely trapeze artist, and begins to fall in love engagement with the flaws, disappointments, and Wings of Desire wants us to question the idealiza - with her. imperfections of the world? How can an artist break tions, detachments, and purifications that most art As the angels go about their daily business — helping those distress, listening to the thoughts of the down the walls that separate the work from the relies on. But the questions about the functions of elderly and the dying, recording the diversity of human experience — Damiel grows increasingly restless. world and the world from the work? art that Wenders poses won’t be asked or Eventually he decides to trade in his wings and his eternal life for human mortality, and to join Marion in Just as Damiel wants to engage himself with answered theoretically. The work of art is the the world. the mess and confusion of earthly life, Wenders artist’s way of wrestling with the relation of dreams asks his art to engage itself with forms and forces and realities. Given the state of the contemporary world, the relation of social involvement and imagi - open space is as flimsy and earthy as a tent with a that are customarily screened out of film. Damiel each abandons his or her respective perch to move native detachment in a work of art is something dirt floor. Wenders emphasizes that the tent is not turns away from the library’s sense of works of art into a middle realm where, rather than rising above, artists have to grapple with now more than ever. permanent, but is only pitched in a field for a few they admit their emotional confusions and doubts – as (quoting Yeats again) “monuments of unaging days and then moved to a new location, assembled intellect” and toward the comical, carnivalesque, exposing themselves to the pains and uncertainties Ray Carney is professor of film and American and disassembled and performative forms of art represented by the of a flesh-and- studies at Boston University and the author of in an unending blood relation - circus. Wenders actually did the same thing in cycle of creation ship. and erasure. His It is criti - point is that the cre - cal that in the ations of a circus scene in which do not have the Damiel and historical absolute - Marion finally ness and perma - come together, nence of the mas - Marion not only terworks of initially resists Western art (in the Damiel’s profes - film’s metaphor, sion of love and they are not like the chides him for works of Homer), his half-hearted - but the watery fluid - ness, but holds ity and evanes - herself at arm’s cence of dramatic length from him, performances in delivering a front of changing philosophical audiences. The connectedness the circus makes, monologue to him and the viewer (turning out of the like love-making, only exists for a night. Its mean - dramatic frame and speaking directly to the audi - ings are not recorded once and for all for eternity, ence at one point) about separation, loneliness, like those in a book or on a map, but must con - and the mystery of personal identity. Wenders and stantly be made and remade – like love. screenwriter Peter Handke, whose artistic finger - As a trapeze artist, Marion is comically posi - prints are all over Marion’s speech, avoid the senti - tioned as someone who functions suspended mental romantic union indulged in by City of between heaven and earth. Like an angel, she Angels , the 1998 Hollywood remake with Nicolas does her most creative work above eye-level, but Cage and Meg Ryan. The mysteries of identity, of she is also inescapably human in that she is afraid differences of feeling, of the separateness of indi - of heights, of the full moon, of losing her job, and of viduals, continue even under the influence of love – not finding someone to love and be loved by. As a but far from being a drawback, Wenders and line in the film’s dialogue comically formulates her Handke suggest, that is what makes the earthly in-between position, Marion may play an angel in world far more interesting than the world of angels her trapeze act, but she is an angel with chicken- – or of Hollywood movie directors. As Robert Frost feather wings. In the end, Damiel the angel who wrote, emphasizing the first word, “Earth’s the right wants to descend into the impurity of earthly life, place for love. I don’t know where it’s likely to go and Marion the non-angel who wants to rise above better.” her state of isolation and loneliness might be said In the largest sense, Wings of Desire is a to meet halfway. In the spatial metaphor of the film, meditation on the function of art. Wenders’ angels are the spirit of filmmaking. As they glide through the world partaking in visions not available to earth - Gustave Doré's illustration for Milton's Paradise Lost : “Gabriel commands two angels to watch over Adam and Eve. . . .” 6 ARTicles Angels in Amsterdam

PHOTOS FROM WINGS OF DESIRE IN AMSTERDAM A.R.T.’s co-production with the Toneelgroep Amsterdam toured Holland before it opens in Cambridge on November 25

Background and top right: Mam Smith top center: Hadewych Mills and Jesse Lenat above: Mam Smith and Fedja van Huêt left: Bernard White, Mam Smith, Fedja van Huêt and Hadewych Minis Fedja van Huêt production photos by Jan Versweyweld ARTicles 7 bombing but ‘Dolls’ is the perfect word to offset that image. It’s an ideal name to capture the fractured beLauty and lost-innocience feelinvg of the music. ing And the dolls really do exist—the city was famous for its china and dolls before it was destroyed dur - ing the war.” A year after the fateful Halloween party, the Dresden Dolls were invited to perform at Boston’s DRyan Mockittriclk Inltrosduces Burlesque Revival Association. Appearing on a bill The Dresden Dolls with a stripper troupe, the two decided to throw on some costumes for kicks. Palmer slipped on a pair So do the Dresden Dolls fans — a group of black-and-white-stripe stockings, a garter belt, that’s been growing exponentially thanks to the and a short dress. Viglione, whose musical influ - release of two highly successful albums (“The ences range from jazz to soul to the hair metal Dresden Dolls” in 2003 and “Yes, Virginia” in 2006); bands of the 1980’s, got into in a the Dolls’ playful website 1920’s-era suit. Then they painted (www.dresdendolls.com ); the duo’s their faces white with make-up that tireless attentiveness slowly melted off over the course to their afi - of the show. Without transform - cionados; ing them into characters, the extensive tours costumes made them more around the coun - animated and playful than try and world; and ever on the stage, and the the band’s leg - band has kept the basic he arched trunk of a gargantuan wisteria vine clothes Palmer’s concerned mother had bought her endary live perform - look, with some alterations, that grows over the front steps of the building in case she needed to interview for an adult job. ances. People don’t ever since. “The fun thing where Dresden Dolls singer, songwriter, and Palmer never went for that interview, but now she go to a Dresden Dolls kTeyboardist Amanda Palmer lives forms the pas - about costume,” says finally had a chance to put the outfit to use. When concert just to hear the Viglione, “is that it can sageway to a Daliesque oasis. Inside this four- her guests arrived, Palmer told everyone she was music. They go for the allow you to incorpo - story artists’ collective, strange - a temporary office worker. total experience of the rate yourself even ly-shaped holes cut into the (The irony wasn’t lost on any - event. Determined to more wholly into an floors and walls provide unex - one.) Around midnight, she immerse the audience in engagement. That’s pected glimpses of neighbors The Dresden Dolls played a few of her songs for an experience where music what the Dresden and nature; mirrors reflect the group, which by that late is just one of the artistic com - Dolls costumes plants that seem to be growing create some of the hour included both friends ponents, Palmer enlists the do. People ask if out of the cracks in the ceilings; and friends-of-friends whom support of the Dresden Dolls it’s a mask that and antiques stare out at you Palmer had never met. At the Brigade for almost all of their most inventive and hides us from the from every nook. Palmer’s end of the set, a severed concerts. An ever-changing audience. For me the costume benevolent, white-bearded head — Brian Viglione in dis - ensemble of performance artists, is a way to engage even more actively with landlord calls this building the dynamic events in guise — approached the magicians, poets, belly dancers, the audience.” Cloud Club. From the airy top office temp, introduced him - musicians, street performers, and With their distinctive look and sound, the floor, where sunlight pours in the music world. self, and invited her to jam living statues, the Brigade transforms Dresden Dresden Dolls have developed a style that Palmer through a geodesic glass dome sometime. They got together Dolls concerts into events where anything can hap - describes as “Brechtian Punk Cabaret.” A refer - and a hollowed-out corner of a week later. Halfway pen. Their performances before, between, during ence to Bertolt Brecht’s confrontational perform - the back wall lets you gaze down on the lush back - through the first song Palmer stopped playing and and after the band’s songs create an environment ances that broke down the barriers between the yard garden, it’s easy to forget you’re in the middle gave Viglione a strange look. It was clear they had where art surrounds the audience rather than keep - actors and audience, “Brechtian Punk Cabaret” is of Boston’s South End. one of those rare musical connections. Within five ing itself at a respectful distance. (At some con - also Palmer’s homage to one of her musical In her recently published songbook, The hours, they were jumping up and down and certs you’ll even encounter a violinist playing in the heroes: the composer Kurt Weill, Dresden Dolls Companion , Palmer remembers screaming with excitement. They had fallen in restroom.) A Dresden Dolls concert is a spectacu - who collaborated regularly with walking into this artistic paradise the first time and what Palmer describes as “rock love.” lar art party, thrown by two hosts who love to sur - Brecht before fleeing Nazi thinking that “a Gaudi building had exploded in By the end of their first jam session, prise their guests. Germany in 1933. “I remem - Wonderland and a vintage thrift-store on the Lower Palmer and Viglione knew they were ber hearing their music East side was selling the remnants.” The surreal a band, but the duo was still when I was a teenager and The Origins of The Onion Cellar structure is a fitting home for an artist who has nameless. For a Two years ago, A.R.T. Artistic Director Robert thinking, ‘Finally! Musical spent much of her life creating spaces and events short Woodruff asked the Dresden Dolls if they were theatre that doesn’t where people can have unexpected, transformative peri - interested in creating a theatre piece. Palmer, who make my stomach experiences. As a child growing up in Lexington od has been coming to the A.R.T since she was a turn,’” says Palmer. she fantasized about hosting a fair in her parents’ they teenager, immediately knew what she wanted to “Weill and Brecht backyard. As a college student at Wesleyan called do. For years, she had been living with the idea of were able to write University, she imagined turning a forgotten stor - them - creating a theatre piece inspired by a chapter from the unsentimental age room into a beatnik café. Neither of those selves “Out Günter Grass’ 1959 novel The Tin Drum . In the love song, which plans came to fruition, but over the past six years of Arms,” but chapter, Grass describes an underground club is really tough. Palmer and drummer Brian Viglione have com - it didn’t stick. called The Onion Cellar where patrons cut onions, Love isn’t bined street theatre, performance art, installations, With the help of force themselves to cry, and purge their pent-up usually sen - carnival, and the Dresden Dolls’ songs to create Palmer’s friend sorrows. Palmer proposed opening an Onion Club timental! some of the most inventive and dynamic events in and mentor in the theatre, and creating a piece that would It’s real! the music world. Anthony explore the role of catharsis in our daily lives, the And I like Palmer met Viglione at a salon-style art party Martignetti, they ways people work through their personal tragedies, real, she threw at the Cloud Club on Halloween night of eventually settled on and the long-term effects of withholding truth — a hon - 2000. Hours before her guests arrived, the hostess The Dresden Dolls. “I theme that’s been prominent in some of her songs. est, realized she didn’t have a costume. Rummaging thought it was the perfect Woodruff paired up the Dolls with director Marcus through her closet, Palmer found a brown bag that name for a band like Stern, who engaged his longtime collaborator she had labeled “Adult Clothes.” Inside the bag ours,” explains Palmer, who Christine Jones to design the set and transform the there was a blazer, a skirt, and a blouse—office lived in Germany as an Zero Arrow Theatre into a club with cabaret-style exchange student during her compli - seating and a stage area for the band. college years. “‘Dresden’ con - cated, and flawed.” Theatre and performance have always been 8 ARTicles jures up the World War II fire - a part of Palmer’s life. Before the meteoric rise of When asked what he would be doing if he weren’t The Dresden Dolls, Palmer made most of her drumming, he responds without hesitation: “I would THE ONION CELLAR money by busking in Harvard Square. For years be a mascot. Or one of those people who goes to at a glance she played the Eight Foot Bride, a living statue who children’s birthday parties or street fairs in animal December 9 – January 13 • Zero Arrow Theatre stood on a hidden pedestal wearing a wedding costumes. I’ve done sev - gown and holding a bouquet of flowers. As Palmer eral gigs like that and featuring The Dresden Dolls describes in her online diary (www.dresdendollsdi - had so much fun. I’m conceived, written, and designed by Amanda Palmer, Jonathan Marc Sherman, Marcus Stern, and Christine Jones ary.blogspot.com), “I would stand there complete - attracted to it for directed by Marcus Stern ly motionless…until some passerby some of the same dropped money into a box at my reasons that set design Christine Jones feet. Then I would come to Amanda enjoys costume design Clint Ramos life and share a doing street lighting design Justin Townsend short moment with theatre. The sound design David Remedios the person who had surprise CAST set me free. I would draws an give them a flower, innocent Remo Airaldi Merritt Janson Claire E. Davies Karen MacDonald sometimes a kiss to go excitement out of Thomas Derrah Amanda Palmer along with it…I was an art people. When this giant Brian Farish Neil Stewart stripper. It was the most furry animal comes up to people, Kristen Frazier Brian Viglione extraordinary job…Children they often revert to a child-like innocence. Jeremy Geidt would be terrified or enraptured. It’s a thrill for me.” Viglione recently surprised the SYNOPSIS Countless marriage proposals. local music world by showing up to the 2006 We are inside the small confines of the mysterious club The Onion Cellar, where the internationally renowned rock duo Lots of tears…I was free to fixate my Boston Music Awards in a bear costume. Less sur - The Dresden Dolls provide nightly entertainment. The club owner and his family (played by A.R.T. company members) gaze on anybody or anything I wanted, and it was prising were the number of awards the Dresden are shrouded in mystery. While singer, songwriter, and keyboardist Amada PAlmer and drummer Brian Viglione play their perfectly acceptable. Nobody looked away. They Dolls won: Act of the Year and Best Pop Rock Act punk-cabaret songs, it is the unraveling of this mystery that creates an event where rock and roll meets theatre, carni - would stare right back.” Over the past few years, for the band, and Best Female Vocalist for Palmer. val, circus, and street performance with humor and humanity. Palmer has been too occupied with the band to In conceiving The Onion Cellar , the Dresden perform the Bride, but just before the Dolls went on Dolls, director Marcus Stern, set designer Christine their international tour this fall, she went back to the Jones, and writer Jonathan Marc Sherman are Square and got into her old gown for a couple aiming to invent a space that is completely away thinking they had no idea they were going to spontaneous is happening. They should know that hours. Standing on the pedestal again and having removed from the ordinary world — a space where see something quite like this,” reflects Palmer. “I whatever it is they are a part of won’t be the same unexpected encounters with strangers as they unexpected scenes can transpire, and where audi - want to create something that’s inexplicable, some - tomorrow night.” rounded the corner, Palmer realized what her true ence members can immerse themselves in an thing that’s impossible to describe to someone the passion in life is: to surprise people. event at a club, rather than just watch a scripted next day. And I want people to feel like they’re actu - Ryan McKittrick is A.R.T.’s Brian Viglione shares that love for surprise. version of something unfold. “I want people to walk ally in a club where something truly unique and Associate Dramaturg. Creating the Onion Cellar Neena Arndt talks with designer Christine Jones

bers to interact with one another as Jones laughs.”I didn’t know what he meant.” Jones a fleshed-out plan. In December 2005, when cast well as facilitate actor-audience soon learned about the art of stage design, and she and artistic staff gathered for a two-week workshop relationships. has also worked as director on a project called to develop the project, Jones came prepared with Jones’ desire to create “Theatre of One,” in which an actor performs for a dozens of images to spark everyone’s imagination. cabaret atmosphere stems from dis - single audience member. In recent years, she has They ranged from stark portraits of prison cells to cussions that began when the show developed an interest in creating visual art. She is color-streaked abstractions. “I have a large per - was in its conceptual stages. quick to explain, sonal collection of pic - Although The Onion Cellar is the - however, that her tures,” Jones says. atre, Jones emphasizes that her set work on non-theatri - “For every project, I is “a place where something real cal projects is a choose images. can happen.” While Zero Arrow is means towards Usually I don’t do this not literally a cellar, Jones considers improving her set until I’ve done an that entering it should feel like a design dexterity. extensive script break - he Dresden Dolls have been called a lot of departure from the outside world. “The lobby leads When a set designer down and distilled the things – from campy cabaret rockers to to a threshhold, which leads into the space. There works, she bows to text down to poetic gloomy bohemians – but set designer is an experience of being led and guided.” the needs of the form. I have to plant TChristine Jones is the only one to refer to the duo play’s text and the Although Jones has never designed a theatre enough seeds so that as a centrifugal force. “I started thinking of the as a club before, she drew on her rich variety of director, but a visual artist is her own boss. Jones there will be vibration.” For The Onion Cellar , room as a centrifuge,” Jones says. “The Dolls are artistic experiences. “When I was younger I want - believes that “it’s important to do something where however, no text existed when Jones began to the centrifugal force, so they have to be in the cen - ed to be a dancer, but ultimately I knew I didn’t want you are the closest entity to whatever is being cre - work. She looked to the Dresden Dolls instead, ter. Everything else radiates out.” to be a performer, because I wanted to be involved ated. By pursuing an art form that isn’t collabora - focusing on their music and lyrics. “That was all I Jones has designed a set for the Zero Arrow in projects from the point of conception.” As a tive, I strengthen my collaborative muscles.” had,” she says. Because these visual images pre - Theatre that allows the action of The Onion Cellar young student, Jones was not aware that “set A.R.T. audience members may recall that dated the script, they influenced the narrative, to “swirl around” the band. She adds quickly that designer” was a profession. “One of my teachers Jones’ collaborative muscles are in excellent condi - rather than the other way around. the audience will circulate too. “I want everyone to said that I might like to think about being a “scenog - tion. Her design for Nocturne Images and design may be feel as much as possible as if they inhabit the same rapher,” and I thought he said “stenographer,”” in 2000 created a haunting, sur - Jones’ primary work, but she space. They more fluid the rela - real world in which a bathtub More info about The knows that they don’t exist in a tionship between actor and audi - overflows with books and a Onion Cellar seating vacuum. “If I weren’t a theatre ence, the better.” child’s corpse lingers in the designer,” she says, “I wouldn’t See page 13. What should the audience background. Her set for 1999’s be any other kind of designer. expect when they enter this The Cripple of Inishmaan rep - Design is interesting to me as it metaphorical whirligig? “It’s a resented the impoverished and isolated landscape relates to narrative: the design has to support the club more than it is a set. I did a of the Aran Islands, while The Taming of the narrative. Storytelling is the most important thing.” lot of research on night clubs,” Shrew in 1998 featured an onstage 18-wheeler. Neena Arndt is a second-year Jones says, “but it doesn’t pre - Though Jones has enjoyed working with many dramaturgy student at the A.R.T./MXAT tend to be a club at the exclusion directors, she has a “simbiotic relationship” with Institute for Advanced Theatre Training. of being a theatre.” The audi - The Onion Cellar director Marcus Stern, who also top left: A scene from The Taming of the Shrew ence will settle into cabaret-style directed Nocturne . bottom left: A scene from The Cripple of Inishmaan seating, rather than the rows tra - For The Onion Cellar , Jones helped Stern above: Set plan for The Onion Cellar ditionally found in theatres. This determine both the narrative and ambience of the will encourage audience mem - evening; the show began as a concept rather than ARTicles 9 The Importance of Being

SUBVERSbIy SVarah WE allace grasp. What can a poor lie and deceive to do so. lighter approach. Instead of attacking, Wilde mocks critic do with a play which Earnest savages the politics of marriage. his characters by unmasking the rigidity of their raises no principle, whether The lovers’ betrothals are acceptable only after absurd obsession with etiquette. of art or morals, creates its proper lineage or wealth is revealed. Victorian soci - If anyone understood the pressures society own canons and conven - ety took the material aspects of marriage seriously. imposed, it was Wilde. Secretly attracted to men, tions, and is nothing but an Lady Bracknell, Gwendolen’s mother, is aghast that he wanted to conquer a society that criminalized absolutely willful expres - her daughter wishes to marry a man without blue homosexuality. Living in disguise with a wife and sion of an irrepressibly witty blood. Yet Lady Bracknell’s dis - children, Wilde hid his “other” personality? gust towards her daughter’s life, including an affair with fiancée hides her own social Lord Alfred “Bosie” Douglas. Archer’s distaste climbing. She came from a lim - Always a flamboyant charac - for what he perceived as ited background with limited ter, Wilde was outed in 1895, superficial explains Wilde’s resources. “When I married and imprisoned for two years strategy. “We should treat Lord Bracknell,” she says, “I of hard labor. Prison broke his all the trivial things of life had no fortune of any kind. But body but not his spirit. After his seriously,” Wilde said, “and I never dreamed for a moment release, he wrote to his friend all the serious things of life of allowing that to stand in my Robert Ross in 1898, “to have with sincere and studied way.” In Wilde’s play altered my life would have triviality.” His characters Machiavellian politics, not love, been to have admitted that live, breathe, and die by this drive the marriage market, Uranian [homosexual] love is code. When Gwendolen leaving married couples strand - ignoble. I hold it to be noble . . and Cecily think they are ed in a desert of loneliness. . ” The characters in Wilde’s engaged to the same man, The play asks if a monoga - play illustrate the hypocrisy this betrayal does not drive mous, middle-class marriage is often found in sanctioned ike many great works of art, The Importance them to jealous frenzy. the royal road to happiness. “noble” relationships. of Being Earnest was written for the most Rather, Cecily’s refusal to follow good form in her Oscar Wilde loved and Gwendolen cannot love Jack seductive of reasons . . . money. Oscar Wilde, tea service pushes Gwendolen over the edge: loathed the world he depicts. unless his name is Ernest. Lcash poor and desperate, took a loan of one-hun - Both member and outsider, “And my ideal has always dred and fifty pounds from actor-manager George You have filled my tea with lumps of sugar, Wilde described Victorian been to love someone of the Alexander. ‘I am so pressed for money,” Wilde dis - and though I asked most distinctly for bread and London from an aesthetic dis - name of Ernest,” she says. closed to Alexander, “that I don’t know what to do.” butter, you have given me cake. I am known for tance. Early in his career he “The moment Algernon first Despite this mercenary approach to playwriting, the for the gentleness of my disposition, and the served as editor for Woman’s mentioned to me that he had a final result thrilled Wilde. “My play is really very extraordinary sweetness of my nature, but I warn World , originally titled Ladies’ friend called Ernest, I knew I funny: I’m quite delighted with it.” Premiering you, Miss Cardew, you may go too far. World . Wilde said of the journal was destined to love you.” The Valentine’s Day, 1895, at the St. James’ Theatre in that it “seems to me to have been a very vulgar, triv - emotion these characters declare for each other is London’s West End, The Both women ignore the serious; the trivial, ial and stupid production, with its silly gossip about frivolous but socially acceptable. Importance of Being however, cannot be silly people, and its social inanities.” But Wilde Wilde’s play unmasks middle-class morality, Earnest scored a critical ignored. If politeness is hoped to achieve loftier goals with the magazine, but the play’s most subversive element is evident and commercial success. not worth fighting for, subverting its existing purpose. As he conceived it, only to those who know the code. Throughout the It was the peak of Wilde’s what is? This scene Woman’s World would, “be made the organized play, Algernon refers to his invalid friend Bunbury. career; a few months later between Gwendolen and organ for the expression of woman’s opinions on all Bunbury’s tendency to fall ill forces Algernon to he would be arrested, tried, Cecily illustrates the heart subjects of literature, art, and modern life, and yet it make frequent trips to the country at a moment’s and imprisoned for “gross of Wilde’s dramaturgy; a should be a magazine that men could read with notice. Bunbury, however, exists only in Algernon’s indecencies” — homosex - conversation about pleasure, and consider it a privilege to contribute lies; he uses the excuse of his fictional friend to uality. Though Wilde died a superficialities cloaks to.” Here Wilde hints at the method he will adopt for escape the city and family obligations whenever he few years later, poor and important issues. The Earnest , taking something “trivial” (a women’s desires. Wilde’s inclusion of Bunbury nodded to disgraced, his play not only women aren’t really con - fashion magazine) and using it as a platform for a those in London living double lives. The term “bun - survived but grew in popu - cerned with tea and cake, lesson in civics (the education of women). bury” referred to male homosexual practice and larity and stature. A centu - but unable to address While Wilde worked within the system in specifically to visiting a male brothel. While ry later his comedy of mis - their sexual jealousy Woman’s World , his 1891 taken identities continues head on, they discuss essay “The Soul of Man to astonish audiences. what society permits under Socialism” The play rejects seri - them to discuss. The real preached social and eco - ous discourse in favor of issue remains locked in nomic revolution, epigrams that keep audi - the closet. ences laughing. Unlike Wilde claimed The With the abolition of pri - Wilde’s previous satires, A Importance of Being vate property, then we Woman of No Earnest celebrates the shall have true, beauti - Importance , An Ideal trivial, and he used the ful, healthy Individu- Husband , and Lady tricks of farce: complicat - alism. Nobody will waste Windermere’s Fan , ed plot, puns, innuendo, his life in accumulating Earnest does not overtly disguises and mistaken things and the symbol examine moral themes like identity. Yet despite for things. One will live. adultery and illegitimacy. William Archer, a sup - William Archer’s critique, To live is the rarest thing porter of Wilde’s previous works, attended the pre - Earnest contains a scorching social satire. in the world. Most peo - miere of Earnest , and criticized it for lacking depth: Through the guise of farce, the play subverts the ple exist, that is all. reigning institutions of the day: marriage and class. It is like a mirage-oasis in the desert, grateful and Wilde exposes the hypocrisy and greed lurking This essay — an comfortable to the weary eye – but when you under Victorian politeness. Each of the play’s aris - angry assault — shows come close up to it! It is intangible, it eludes your tocrats (Jack, Algernon, Gwendolen, Cecily, and how the whims of society Lady Bracknell) contributes to this moral decay. annihilate individual While the characters appear to obey propriety, they choice. Earnest takes a 10 ARTicles Algernon may be a heterosexual, the term hints at Gaol. His name was stripped from the marquees, forbidden desires. Algernon explains to Jack, and he died in exile and poverty. Despite Wilde’s THE IMPORTANCE “Nothing will induce me to part with Bunbury, and if fall from grace, his plays never disappeared from you ever get married, which seems to me extreme - the stage. For the past century, The Importance ly problematic, you will be very glad to know of Being Earnest , Wilde’s “trivial” romp, has made OF BEING EARNEST Bunbury. A man who marries without knowing audiences giddy with subversive laughter. The a trivial comedy Bunbury has a very tedious time of it.” Wilde, mar - comedy — light and bright and sparkly — hides ried with children, had to invent excuses to lead his anger and pain. performed by two serious people double life, a duplicity society forced on him. Though the altar-bound characters choose domes - Sarah Wallace is a first-year dramaturgy student at at a glance ticity, The Importance of Being Earnest cele - the A.R.T./MXAT Institute for Advanced Theatre December 21 – January 14 • Loeb Stage brates this double life. Training. by Oscar Wilde Shortly after its triumphant opening, her created by Ridiculusmus majesty’s government locked Wilde up in Reading devised and edited by David Woods, Jon Haynes, and Jude Kelly previous page: top left: performed by David Woods and Jon Haynes John Gielgud, Gwen Frangeon- director Jude Kelly Davies and Edith Evans in the set and costume design Zoe Atkinson Globe theatre production of lighting design Jo Currey The Importance of Being music and sound design David Woods, John Haynes, Earnest in 1939. Jude Kelly, and Lawrence English top right: Oscar Wilde in June, choreography (Galliard) Marcelle Davis 1882, during his lecture tour Produced in association with the Loeb Drama Center of the U.S. bottom left: David Woods as SYNOPSIS Lady Bracknell bottom right: David Woods Jack and Algernon, two wealthy young Englishmen, shirk responsibility whenever possible. Algernon and Jon Haynes in their avoids obligations by fleeing to the country; Jack evades responsibility by escaping to the city. Cecily, Jack’s various incarnations. ward in the country, believes that Jack is looking after his younger, profligate (and fabricated) brother Ernest this page: The 1895 Wilde trial — the name he uses while in London. Jack wishes to marry Gwendolen, Algernon’s cousin, but is dismayed as seen by the to learn that she could only love a man named Ernest. Additionally, Lady Bracknell, Gwendolen’s mother, Illustrated Police News. refuses to give her consent when she learns that Jack is an orphan. Algernon, intrigued by Cecily, travels to the countryside pretending to be “Ernest,” Jack’s wastrel of a brother. Cecily is delighted to meet the man she has only heard about for years. When Jack returns to the country estate, however, to announce that his brother has tragically died, chaos ensues. As Cecily and Gwendolen discover they are both engaged to “Ernest,” the characters become entangled in a series of Playing in uproarious mistaken identities. mouse.”] We said, yeah, that sounds okay, so it had a tape recording of a BBC production with became our name. We were briefly joined by a Dame Fabia Drake, Barbara Leigh-Hunt, a young couple of other performers – in 1997 five of us Prunella Scales, and Celia Johnson. I’d had the Earnest staged The Third Policeman , adapted from Flann tape for years and I listened to it so much that I Introducing Ridiculusmus O’Brien’s novel – but after that it’s been just Dave learned the whole thing. and me. Gideon Lester talks to Jon Haynes, one half of written a PhD on it [available at http://ridiculus - G.L.: Was it always the idea that you and G.L.: Do the two of you have a constant per - Ridiculusmus, the British comic duo who are play - mus.com/davejon/75/dave ]. David would play all the parts? formance persona, or does it change from project ing all the parts in The Importance of Being G.L.: When did you form Ridiculusmus? J.H.: Yes. Ridiculusmus is now always just to project? Earnest . J.H.: We were in our last the two of us – we always play all the parts. For us J.H.: People often Gideon Lester: Ridiculusmus consists of two semester at the Poor School, it wasn’t strange, but maybe it is for people who say that we’re a double performers, you and David Woods. When did you and one day a fringe theatre have never seen us before. act, with Dave as the begin working together? company phoned and said G.L.: How was it meeting the play again after funny man and me the Jon Haynes: I met David in 1992 at the Poor they’d had a cancellation for a so many years? straight man, but we do School, a drama school in London for poor people. three-week slot, and did any J.H.: Interesting. David and I both try to keep try and vary it. With our friend Angus we formed a sort of busking students want to do a show? a level of reality, not to go over the top in our per - G.L.: Most of your trio, performing comic songs from the twenties and David was standing in the vicin - formances. But Earnest isn’t really a naturalistic material you write your - thirties on the Tube and in the street. It was an ity of the phone and said to the play. So much of it is in Wilde’s voice; the charac - self, or adapt from nov - early example of our anti-comedy. Then we start - principal, yes, we’ve got a ters all sound more or less the same. They all els. The Importance of ed a comedy club called the Tomato Club in a little show, we’ll do it. In fact we had - speak in epigrams. It’s a bit like Joe Orton; it’s hard Being Earnest is the room above a restaurant. Again it was anti-come - n’t got a show at all, but David, to feel sympathetic towards anyone. The heroines, first existing play the two dy, almost Dadaist; our advertisements for the ever the entrepreneur, said to for example, can easily become finger-sucking, of you have worked on. show said, “Don’t Come!” and asked for bad come - us, why don’t we do Three Men petticoat-rustling grotesques. The play has a great How did that come dians to turn up and perform. The show included a in a Boat , based on the novel artificiality. It’s like Wilde’s hair – very carefully dis - about? Tomato Spot when we’d get volunteers to come up by Jerome K. Jerome, because arranged. J.H.: We were per - and tell bad jokes, or even good jokes, and we’d there are three of us, and he’d G.L.: Critics often say that beneath the sur - forming two shows at the arm the audience with overripe tomatoes so they just given a copy of it as a pres - face comedy, it’s a very angry play. Barbican in London in could pelt the comedian, who was often wearing ent to somebody so it was in his J.H.: It’s not as poisonous now as it must 2001, protective gear. It got quite a reputation and a lot of mind. We had about two weeks have been when Wilde wrote it, but it still does have and the comics didn’t like it. We had complaints from to get the show together. We an ability to shock you. Some of the lines are real - director stand-ups saying we were giving comedy a bad used all the comic songs we’d ly horrible. “I have no sympathy for invalids.” “The Jude name. We had to leave in the end because we had been doing, and we had card - only way to behave to a woman is to make love to Kelly complaints from the restaurant downstairs about board cutout props, and three her, if she is pretty, and to someone else, if she is came to the tomato seeds not being cleaned up. But it’s suitcases made in the shape of plain.” Sometimes the audience still gasps. see them where we got our training. a boat, which we carried around and G.L.: What do you mean by “anti-comedy”? with all the props in and we’d Gideon Lester is the A.R.T.’s became J.H.: We weren’t conventionally funny – in just throw them down and they’d become a boat. It Associate Artistic Director. a fan. fact I’ve always had a problem with the label was quite good. We “comic.” I’m more of the belief that if I’m funny it’s G.L.: Where did the name Ridiculusmus For more information on Ridiculusmus, includ - asked her to direct us in something – we’d never accidental. I’d rather it be like that, that actually I’m come from? ing archival material from their other produc - worked with a director before – and she agreed. trying to be deadly serious. But I suppose I have a J.H.: When we were at the Poor School, the tions, please visit www.ridiculusmus.com She suggested we look at Restoration Comedies, strong comic sensibility, so I can see when people man on the phone said he needed a name for us. but in the end we settled on Wilde. are laughing and use it. We don’t do stand-up com - So we asked people for suggestions, and one of G.L.: Why? Jon Haynes and David Woods in Ridiculusmus edy. We don’t tell jokes. When people see us per - the students, who was a former Classics teacher, J.H.: One reason was that I’d memorized the productions of Yes, Yes, Yes and How to be Funny form, they often don’t know whether to laugh or not, said, “What about Ridiculus Mus?” He said it was text when I was a teenager. I’d been a Wilde nut or they laugh behind their hands, like the Japanese from the poet Horace . [It’s a quotation from for about four years by the end of fourteen, and I do. David takes all this very seriously – he’s even Horace’s Ars Poetica , and means “ridiculous ARTicles 11 Wings of Desire Artists

FRED GOESSENS — Dying HADEWYCH MINIS —Thoughts/Live Music Met Theatre; John in the Hill Country, The Bhagavad Gita/The Song of Man A member of Toneelgroep Amsterdam since the 05/06 season, credits God (WHERE???). Founder of Plymouth in Los Angeles, a theatre Member of Toneelgroep include Scènes uit een huwelijk directed by Ivo van Hove and space dedicated to exploring the sacred in art. Film/TV: American Amsterdam since it was found - Opening Night . This season, she will be appearing in Don Carlos, Dreamz , Pain Within , Land Of Plenty (Wim Wenders), Sueño , Raising ed in 1987, appeared as Maeterlinck and Roman Tragedies. Other credits: MARK ROSENTHAL* Helen , American Made , The Matrix Revolutions , The Matrix Reloaded , Orestes in Andromache , as Seemanslieder/Op hoop van zegen by Christoph Marthaler and — Cassiel Scorpion King , Pay It Forward , City Of Angels , E-Ring, Crossing Jordan, the addict son in Liefhebber Richard III by Johan Simons at ZT Hollandia. She has also had fre - New York theatre cred - Jag, 24, The Agency, West Wing, C.S.I..Miami, The Guardian, Alias, and in the title role of John quent television and film roles, including in De Kroon , a television film its; Nami (Partial Touched By An Angel, Judging Amy, The Division, The X-Files, The Gabriel Borkman . This sea - made by the VPRO in which Minis plays the part of Princess Maxima, Comfort), Mercy on the Practice, Felicity, ER, NYPD Blue. son, he is appearing in Het and in the film Phileine zegt sorry . Doorstep (Flea), After Ashley (Vineyard Theatre), The Internationalist temmen van de feeks, (FTC), The Moonlight Room (Lucille Lortel Nomination), Kenneth ROBIN YOUNG — Newscaster Roman Tragedy, and Tragedy. STEPHEN PAYNE — Former Lonergan’s This Is Our Youth (New York) and Waverly Gallery Host of WBUR’s midday news mag - Alongside his roles with Angel (Pasadena Playhouse ), Ah Wilderness ! (Lincoln Center), Elizabeth azine Here and Now , heard on Toneelgroep Amsterdam, New York: J.P. Shanley’s Egloff’s Phaedra (Vineyard Theatre), The Basement at the Bottom of National Public Radio stations across Goessens has also acted in the Sailor’s Song ,The Public the End of the World (1996 Young Playwrights Festival at The Public the country. Launched the popular films De Jurk (1996) and Oude Tongen (1994), and appeared in various Theater; Bukowski From Theater); also Dark Rapture (American Conservatory Theatre), Marvin’s Evening Magazine on WBZ-TV in the plays between 1980 and 1991 for companies such as Theatergroep Piek Beyond , Soho Playhouse; Room (Chicago’s Goodman Studio and Playwrights Horizons, New York mid-70s, spent several years as cor - and Stichting Theater la Luna. South of No North and Fool – Joseph Jefferson Award nomination and Theater World Award, Drama respondent and substitute host for th for Love , 29 Street Rep; Desk nomination). Films: the upcoming Backseat , Final Draft , Jump , NBC’s Today show, has also report - JESSE LENAT* — Thoughts/Live Music Ghosts and Pillars of Society , Stiffs . Television: Numbers , The Mike O’Malley Show (series regular), ed for CBS ABC, and the Discovery Actor/songwriter. New York theatre credits: Fucking A (dir. Michael Century Center; Automatic Tribeca , Joe’s Apartment , The Education of Max Bickford , That’s Life , Channel. Recipient of numerous Greif) The Public Theater; Once Around The Sun (dir. Jace Earth Signature Theatre; Law & Order . industry awards including television’s Emmy, cable’s Ace Award, and the Alexander), The Zipper; Texarkana Waltz (also original music, music Subtle Bodies , Theatre Row; George Foster Peabody Award for excellence in documentary films. director, dir. Allison Narver), Kirk Theatre; Floyd Collins (dir.Tina The Realism of Simple Machines , LaMama; A Hatful of Rain (dir. MAM SMITH — Marion Produced and directed the “Los Altos Story,” a film about a Rotary Club Landau), Playwrights Horizons, cast album; Tooth of Crime: Second Frank Corsaro) and Mailer’s America Sings , Actors’ Studio. Regional: Aerialist, dancer, choreographer, and AIDS. Dance with original music by T-bone Burnet (dir. Bill Hart/Sam A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Peter Quince/Aegeus, dir. Tina Landau), and actor. As a child she studied Shepard0, Signature Theatre/Second Stage at Lucile Lortel Theatre; McCarter Theatre; Bus Stop (dir. Joe Hardy; Craig Noel and Inner Circle classical dance and competed as ANDY MOOR — composer/ Rent (dir. Michael Greif), New York Theatre Workshop; Len Jenkin’s Critis’ Awards), The Old Globe; Paula Vogel’s Boy Gets Girl (dir, an elite gymnast. Dancer in a sound designer new play Kraken ( Herman Melville), Todd Mountain Theatre Project. Roberta Levitow), Seattle Repertory Theatre. Films: Rent, A Girl’s Guide Cirque du Soleil benefit series, Composer and sound designer Regional: Actors Theatre of Louisville, Dallas Theatre Center, Alley to Hunting & Fishing, Cake Eaters, Where God Left His Shoes, A Crime, Lincoln Center and Radio City Andy Moor was born in London Theatre, The Guthrie Theater, American Music Theatre Festival, Wilma A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, Hells Kitchen, A Good Day to Die, Music Hall, toured throughout the England and began his musical Theatre. Performed a solo show on the life of Woody Guthrie as well Witness to the Mob and No Mercy. TV: The Sopranos, Law & Order, US as a featured dancer with the life in Scotland playing guitar with as his own music; recently completed a month-long residency playing Third watch, Equalizer, and Kojak. Doug Elkins Dance Co. Principal the band Dog Faced Hermans. In his original music at The Living Room (voted best club in New York City aerialist for Antigravity. Television 1990 he moved to the Netherlands for singer songwriters by Time Out New York ); worked with John Cougar FRIEDA PITTOORS — Homer credits: most recently seen with to join the Dutch band The Ex and Mellencamp and Stephen King on a project called “Ghost Brothers” in Frieda Pittoors has been a member P-Diddy on MTV’s “2002 Music Video Awards” and the “2003 Grammy continues to be a full time member which he played The of Toneelgroep Amsterdam since the Awards” (where she performed with Gwen Stephani); Oz , Law and of this band. In 1995 he per - Shape. Films: 05/06 season. She has appeared in Order ; also numerous print and television advertisements. She is pro - formed his first series of complete - Venomous with Treat Perfect Wedding and Huis van de ducing the film Hello Timor , the first feature film of East Timor. Education: ly improvised concerts as a duet with Terrie Ex, and later released a video th Williams (20 century toekomst , this season she is New York University’s Tish School of the Arts for Dance and Theatre, of the best performances. In 1996 he began another group with Tony fox, fred olen-rey), appearing in Don Carlos , Masters in Communications from Emerson College in Boston. Buck (Necks), Joe Williamson and Leonid Soybelman (Ne Zhdali) called Went To Coney Island Maeterlinck and Roman Tragedies . Kletka Red, fusing traditional Klezmer, Greek and Russian songs with On A Mission From She has acted in professional the - BERNARD WHITE* — Damiel their own frantic styles of playing. In recent years he has worked with God , Robbers , The atres in Belgium since the age of Theatre: Lucy and the Conquest, electronic musicians (Kaffe Matthews, Yannis Kyriakides, Thomas Lehn, Fish in the Bathtub eight, and has been appearing on the Williamstown Theatre Festival: and Colin Mclean), composed soundtracks for films and performed regu - (with Jerry Stiller and Dutch stage since the nineteen-sev - Landscape Of The Body, Signature larly with dancers such as Magpie Music and Dance Company. He cre - Anne Meara). enties with companies including Theatre Co; Sakharam Binder, The Play ated soundtracks for the film Epic by artist Marion Coutts (Dog Faced Television: Law and Proloog, Sater, Het Zuidelijk Toneel Co.; Mum, Now Theatre; The Death Of Hermans) and for her film No Evil Star; and launched a new CD label Order: CI, Hack, Once and Discordia. Other credits include The Leenane Trilogy (nominated Garcia Lorca, The Public Theater; An along with Yannis Kyriakides and Isabelle Vigier, called Unsounds. Mr. and Again, Strangers for Theo d’Or), Tim van Athene and Seemannslieder/Op hoop van Antigone Story and Crossings: Journeys Moor has worked with Thermal (John Butcher and Thomas Lehn), with With Candy, To Hell zegen at ZT Hollandia. of Catholic Immigrants, Cornerstone Magpie Music and Dance Company, and sound poet Anne James And Back, The Theatre; Dogeaters, La Jolla Playhouse; Chaton; collaborated with dancer and choreographer Nora Heilmann, Meatloaf Story. Frieda Pittoors, Hadewych Minis, and Fred Goessens are A Perfect Ganesh, Odyssey Theare; and with the Dutch theatre companies The Ex and D’Electrique, including appearing with the permission of Actors’ Equity Association. Creeps , Theatre Theatre, Second Stage; the production of A Clockwork Orange. He has toured extensively with The Producers gratefully acknowledge Actors’ Equity Titus Andronicus , The Globe Playhouse. The Ex worldwide. Association for its assistance of this production. Solo theatre creations: Where She Went, The Onion Cellar Artists

(Woyzeck), The Oresteia (Orestes). Broadway: Jackie: An American A.R.T. COMPANY ACTORS KAREN MacDONALD Life ( twenty-three roles). Off-Broadway: Johan Padan and the A.R.T.: founding member, fifty- Discovery of the Americas (Johan), Big Time (Ted). Tours with the REMO AIRALDI eight productions. Recent sea - Company across the U.S., with residencies in New York, Chicago, San A.R.T.: Forty-nine productions, sons: Island of Slaves Francisco, and Los Angeles, and throughout Europe, Canada, Israel, including Island of Slaves (Euphrosine), Romeo and Taiwan, Japan, and Moscow. Other: Approaching Moomtaj (New (Arlequin), Romeo and Juliet Juliet (Nurse), No Exit Repertory Theatre); Twelfth Night and The Tempest (Commonwealth (Peter), No Exit (Valet), Amerika (Estelle), Olly’s Prison (Ellen), Shakespeare Co.); London’s Battersea Arts Center; five productions at (Captain, Green, Head Porter), Dido, Queen of Carthage Houston’s Alley Theatre, including Our Town (Dr. Gibbs, directed by José Dido, Queen of Carthage (Nurse), (Anna), The Provok’d Wife Quintero); and many theatres throughout the U.S. Awards: 1994 Elliot The Provok’d Wife (Constable), (Madamoiselle, IRNE award), Norton Prize for Sustained Excellence, 2000 and 2004 IRNE Awards for The Miser (Master Jacques), The The Miser (Frosine, IRNE Best Actor, 1997 Los Angeles DramaLogue Award (for title role of Birthday Party (McCann), A award), The Birthday Party Shlemiel the First) . Television: Julie Taymor’s film Fool’s Fire (PBS Midsummer Night’s Dream (Meg,IRNE Award), A American Playhouse), Unsolved Mysteries , Del and Alex (Alex, A&E (Francis Flute), Pericles Midsummer Night’s Dream Network). Film: Mystic River (directed by Clint Eastwood). He is a grad - (Fisherman), La Dispute (Mesrou), (Hypolita/Titania, IRNE award), uate of the Yale School of Drama. Uncle Vanya (Telegin), Pericles (Dionyza), Highway Ulysses (Circe), Uncle Vanya (Marina), Marat/Sade (Cucurucu), Enrico IV Lysistrata (Kalonika), Mother Courage and Her Children (Mother JEREMY GEIDT (Bertoldo), The Winter’s Tale Courage), Marat/Sade (Simone), Othello (Emilia, IRNE award). Director Senior Actor, founding member of (Clown), The Wild Duck (Molvik), of Dressed Up! Wigged Out!, Boston Playwrights Theatre. New York: THE DRESDEN DOLLS the Yale Repertory Theatre and Buried Child (Father Dewis), Roundabout Theatre, Second Stage, Playwright’s Horizons, and Actors’ AMANDA PALMER AND BRIAN VIGLIONE the A.R.T. Yale: over forty produc - Tartuffe (Monsieur Loyal), Henry IV and V (Mistress Quickly) , Playhouse. Regional: The Misanthrope (Arsinöe), Berkshire Theatre The Dresden Dolls continue to defy explanation and classification, tions. A.R.T.: ninety-seven pro - Waiting for Godot (Pozzo), Shlemiel the First (Mottel/Moishe Festival; Infestation (Mother), Boston Playwrights Theatre; Hamlet have been called theatrical rock, punk cabaret, manic-musical, and ductions including Three Sisters Pippik/Chaim Rascal), The King Stag (Cigolotti), Six Characters in (Gertrude) and Twelfth Night (Maria), Commonwealth Shakespeare neo-glam-torch. The Dresden Dolls take the world stage, tear down (Ferapont, in Cambridge and Search of an Author (Emilio Paz). Other: No Exit, Camino Real and Company; The Beauty Queen of Leenane (Maureen) and The Last the curtain, rip holes in the veneer and create their own rules, rhymes Edinburgh), Major Barbara Eight by Tenn (Hartford Stage), productions at La Jolla Playhouse, Night of Ballyhoo (Boo) Vineyard Playhouse; Who’s Afraid of Virginia and reason. For the past five years, the duo has been climbing (Undershaft), Heartbreak House Geffen Playhouse, American Conservatory Theater, Walnut St. Woolf (Martha, Elliot Norton Award) and Frankie and Johnny in the steadily out of the artistic trenches and into the mainstream of rock on (Shotover), A Midsummer Theatre, Prince Music Theater, Actors’ Theatre of Louisville, Serious Clair de Lune (Frankie), Merrimack Repertory Theatre; As You Like It their own terms. The Dolls thrive on their inherent juxtapositions. The Night’s Dream (Quince four Fun Festival, Moscow Art Theatre, Taipei International Arts Festival, (Rosalind), Shakespeare & Co; Shirley Valentine (Shirley), Charles musical-theater and New-Wave background of writer/singer/pianist times, Snug once), Henry IV Boston Playwrights Theatre. Playhouse. Other: Alley Theatre (Company member), the Goodman Amanda Palmer mixes with drummer Brian Viglione’s Heavy Metal (Falstaff), Twelfth Night (Toby roots to create a sonic smear of unclassifiable rock. Palmer wails; Theatre, the Wilma Theatre, Long Wharf Theatre, Geva Theatre, THOMAS DERRAH Belch), The Caretaker (Davies) , Viglione cackles. It is this dichotomy that supplies the band with a Syracuse Stage, Buffalo Studio Arena, Cincinnati Playhouse, A.R.T.: Island of Slaves The Homecoming (Max), Loot (Truscott), Man and Superman ying-yang quality that keeps them hurtling through space, pulling each Philadelphia Festival of New Plays. (Trivelin), Romeo and Juliet (Mendoza/Devil), Waiting for Godot (Vladimir), The Threepenny other to and fro in an endless and highly entertaining match of musi - (Friar Lawrence), Three Opera (Peacham/Petey), Ivanov (Lebedev), Three Sisters cal wits. After signing with Roadrunner Records in early 2004, the Sisters (Chebutykin), (Chebutkin), Buried Child (Dodge), The Cherry Orchard (Gaev). The band has been enjoying a whirlwind schedule that has included head - Carmen (Zuniga), Olly’s King Stag (Pantelone). Teaches at Harvard College, its Summer and lining sold-out tours on four continents, opening for Nine Inch Nails Prison (Barry), The Birthday Extension Schools and at the A.R.T/MXAT Institute. Trained at the Old (Trent Reznor hand-picked the band after seeing their homemade Party (Stanley), A Vic Theatre School and subsequently taught there. Acted at the Old Vic, video for “Girl Anachronism” on television), performing at the world’s Midsummer Night’s Dream Young Vic, The Royal Court, in the West End and in films and television, biggest festivals including Coachella, Fuji Rock, Roskilde and (Nick Bottom), Highway hosting his own show “The Caravan” for the B.B.C. for five years. Went Glastonbury, and releasing an innovative and acclaimed live DVD. Ulysses (Ulysses), Uncle to the U.S.A. with the satirical revue The Establishment and acted on and Vanya (Vanya), Marat/Sade off Broadway, the Stratford Shakespeare Festival and the Lincoln Center (Marquis de Sade), Richard Festival. Lectured on Shakespeare in India and the Netherlands Theatre II (Richard), Mother Courage School. Received the Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Boston Actor (Chaplain), Charlie in the House of Rue (Charlie Chaplin), Woyzeck and the Jason Robards Award for Dedication to the Theatre. 12 ARTicles Wings on the Special Seating for The Onion Cellar The A.R.T.’s production of The Onion Cellar , starting December 9, will be a truly unique theatrical experience. Screen To create the special atmosphere of The Onion Cellar , Zero Arrow See the film Theatre will be transformed into an underground cabaret, where patrons are able to enjoy a beverage at their table, surrounded by the employees, Wings of Desire ! performers, and musicians of the club – in this case the incredibly popular Monday evening band, The Dresden Dolls. November 27 Patrons for The Onion Cellar will be seated at “cabaret style” tables. 7:00pm As in a café or restaurant, you will have reservations for a particular per - formance and will be seated at a reserved table by the ushers that night. On Monday, November 27, the Coolidge There are also Corner Theatre in Brookline will be lower-priced stool screening the Wim Wenders film, Wings seats located of Desire . The A.R.T.'s Gideon Lester will around the lip of the introduce the film and discuss the process stage, at the bar, for adapting the film to the stage, along and at the back of the theatre. with director Ola Mafaalani, and actor Bernard White. For more infor - Thank you – and mation, stay tuned to amrep.org and A.R.T. Connections (sign up for we hope you enjoy this informative e-newsletter, A.R.T. Connections, at amrep.org) for the production! details. Visit the Coolidge Corner Theatre's website at coolidge.org.

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CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN FARE WITH INTERNATIONAL ACCENTS CONTEMPORARY, COMFORTABLE WE CREATE “RELAXED IRISH PUB SENSATIONAL FINE DINING, ATMOSPHERE DESSERT CAMBRIDGE  STYLE” EXPERIENCES “ONE OF THE TOP TEN NEW BISTROTS – Boston Phoenix IN THE USA!” Receive a complimen - Valet parking for just $12. tary Prelude (light — FOOD & WINE MAGAZINE Pre-Theatre ‘Plate Fare’ – $30, three-course dinner appetizer) item (appetizer, dinner, and dessert) prix fixe menu Free with purchase of $50 or more! Ticket (section A seating) to the A.R.T. and pre-theatre between 6:00 and 10:00 p.m. daily, when you purchase with ticket to show ($38 with glass of wine). any plated dessert in the dining room. Items include dinner — $80. Call Craigie Street Bistro to make reser - Valet service is available beginning at 5pm, Warm Spinach Salad, Fancy Mesclun Salad, Caesar vations and arrange for tickets. (limited availability) Post-Theatre ‘Diner’s Studio’ – “Ten After Ten” Wed thru Sat. Good for dinner and/or Salad, White Pizza, Farmers Pizza, Mediterranean If you already have tickets, take advantage of the $35 menu; Free glass of wine with purchase of appetizer. performance. Dinner til 11, bar til 1am. Pizza, Hummus Plate, and Bruschetta (menu items may vary). prix-fixe Curtain for Certain menu!! 56 JFK Street 5 Craigie Circle 1230 Massachusetts Ave. 617.868.0335 30 Dunster Street 617.497.5511 617.497.0400 www.conundrumrestaurant.com 617.441.9797 www.craigiestreetbistrot.com www.graftonstreetcambridge.com www.finaledesserts.com

LEGAL SEA FOODS Theatre & Lunch three course pre-fi xe for customers with valid tickets for that day’s Keperformancendall S atq theu aAmericanre lo Repertorycation Theatre only! with tickets to that day’s performance lunch $20 • dinner $30

$20.00 per person* includes coffee and soft drink CAMBRIDGE’S 1st Course ~ one of the following CONTEMPORARY

Mixed Green Salad tomato balsamic vinaigrette MOST BELOVED CUISINE INSPIRED New England Clam Chowder

2nd Course ~ one of the following FRENCH “ONE OF THE TOP Boston Baked Scrod BY AMERICAN topped with seasoned crumbs and diced tomatoes DINING ROOM TEN NEW Tortilla, Apple and Goat Cheese Salad with grilled shrimp or scallops chopped avocado and chipotle orange dressing CLASSICS RESTAURANTS Tuna Burger french fries and cole slaw IN THE WORLD!” Shrimp and Garlic tomato, scallions and — FOOD & WINE mushrooms tossed with linguini Present your ticket and receive 15% off your meal. MAGAZINE 3rd Course ~ one of the following This offer is only available on the day of your atten - Bon Bon Trio 20% off lunch or dinner for A.R.T. Profi terole two cream puffs dance . Discount cannot be offered on alcohol. Pre-theater dinner (or post-matinee dinner) in either filled with ice cream ticketholders on day of performance. *tax and gratuity not included Limit one discount per party. the Monday Club at $35 with a glass of house red or Sorry, offer excludes alcohol and the prix fixe menu. white wine, or dinner in the Soiree Room (open Advance reservations requested. Tuesday through Saturday) for $45, with a choice of a glass of bubbly, or house red or white wine. Priority reservations for ticket holders. www.LEGALSEAFOODS.com 44 Brattle Street (on the walkway) 8 Holyoke Street 617.497.5300 91 Winthrop Street 617.868.2255 5 Cambridge Center www.harvestcambridge.com www.sandrines.com 617.864.1933 Kendall Square www.upstairsonthesquare.com 617-864-3400 ARTicles 13 A.R.T. IN AMSTERDAM Wings of Desire opened in Amsterdam on Sunday, October 8 and several of our friends were there to see it. Robert Woodruff and Gideon Lester were joined in the Netherlands by A.R.T. Advisory Board member Barbara Lemperly Grant and Fred Grant, Provost Steve Hyman and his wife Barbara Bierer, and Michael McClung and Jacqueline Kinney. The group enjoyed lunch with artists from Toneelgroep Amsterdam including General Director, Ivo van Hove; Ko van den Bosch the Dutch translator of Wings , and co-adaptor; and Adelheid Roosen, one of the Netherlands’ foremost actresses. They all sipped champagne and sampled delicious Moroccan cuisine while discussing Dutch theatre, American theatre and future partnerships. Lunch was followed by the premiere of Hemel boven Berlijn , or Wings of Desire (as it will be called in Cambridge). Although the performance was predominantly in Dutch (it will be predominantly English during its run at the Loeb), the story came through beautifully. The production promises to be a must-see on this side of the pond. –– Maura Henry, former A.R.T. Executive Assistant

Above: Jackie Kinney and Michael McClung joined the A.R.T. in Amsterdam. Barbara Bierer and Provost Steve Hyman with Mam Smith and Advisor Board Member Barbara Lemperly Grant enjoyed lunch before the performance. A.R.T. Associate Director Gideon Lester, Wings of Desire Director Ola Mafaalani, Mam Smith and A.R.T. Artistic Director at the Amsterdam Opening of Wings of Desire . (Photos by Fred Grant) At left: The marquee at the Stadsschouwburg Theatre at the opening of Hemel Boven Berlijn/Wings of Desire in Amsterdam. T he Angels Were Watching! “If Wings of Desire were set in Boston, there would be angels watching us from the top of the Hancock and the Prudential Center. Look around and picture the city from an angel's eye view.” –– Gideon Lester, Associate Artistic Director (9/16/06)

On a glorious Saturday evening in September, fifty guests gathered on the rooftop of the Back Bay home of A.R.T. friends, Martha Cox and Andrew McKay, to benefit the American Repertory Theatre and our upcoming production of Wings of Desire . With donations of appetizers from Niche Catour, wine from Vintages-Adventures in Wine, party rentals from Peterson Party Center, and auction items from Chanel Boutique, Boutique Giorgio Armani, and Coral Beach Club (Bermuda), guests enjoyed fantas - tic views of the sunset over Boston, and music by Rooftop Jazz Four. Executive Director, Rob Orchard and Artistic Director, Robert Woodruff described the work of the theatre and this season’s offerings. Gideon Lester, Associate Artistic Director, talked about Wings of Desire and the intricacies of creating this international co-pro - duction.

It was a delightful — and lively — evening under the stars and lights of Back Bay. And, in addition to “friend-raising”, the fundraising was also a success, raising over $10,000 for our production of Wings of Desire . The angels really were watching us!

Hosts Andrew McKay and Martha Cox. Sydney and Peter Frasca enjoyed An Evening Under the Stars. 14 ARTicles Host Andrew McKay and Rooftop Jazz Four. Transforming the American Repertory Theatre

Our 2006-07 Annual Fund drive is now underway! Once again we turn to you, our audience members, supporters, and aficionados of the arts, to partner with us as we present this year’s Season of Transformations, with productions that reflect transformations such as a work of art, a film, and a book. Likewise, support of the A.R.T.’s Annual Fund allows the theatre and artistic vision to grow — and transform — throughout the season and into the future.

This year’s donor benefits are better than ever! In addition to invitations and recognition designed to bring you closer to the work of the theatre, you will also enjoy knowing that your gift will make a difference! With tick - et revenues covering about half the costs of producing live theatre, we depend on your support to help fulfill the critical difference. Last season 1150 individual donors, along with foundation, government, and corporate partners, generously supported our Annual Fund drive. With an even greater need this year we look to you— a supporter of world-class, award- winning theatre—to be part of this season’s transformations. You do, indeed, play a role at the A.R.T.!

A new donor level of $1,200, along with a monthly payment option, makes joining the A.R.T.’s Artistic Director’s Circle a choice well-worth consider - ing. Contact the theatre’s development office at 617-496-2000 x 8832 for more information, and look for our annual appeal in your mailbox soon.

“Gifts to the Annual Fund not only support our financial needs, but also lend encouragement to continue ambitious programming as we face the future challenge of maintaining an extraordinary level of artistic integrity and keeping the voice of the artists at the center of our mission.” – Robert Woodruff, Artistic Director

Picture your name on the title page of A.R.T.’s program book — as a Production Sponsor for one of American Repertory Theatre’s plays.

A range of production sponsorships for annual gifts at $7,500 and up allows for unparalleled access to the art of the A.R.T., and pays tribute to our most generous donors. Production Sponsors enjoy personal involvement with the process of the production, as well as dialogue with the artists.

Major Production Sponsors, those making gifts of $25,000 or higher, are also invited to join the new Artistic Committee. Members of this select insider group have the greatest access to the “art” of the A.R.T. by meeting with the Artistic Director

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E review scripts and to dis - L WELCOME INSTITUTE STUDENTS O cuss future artistic choices R Students of the Institute for Advanced Theatre Training

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Island of Slaves: Freddy Franklin, Adam Shanahan, H daring artistic choices. Fiona Gallagher, Santio Cupon, Airline Inthyrath THROUGH YOUR SUPPORT Elizabeth Allen. Photo by Institute student Njal Mjos. Photo: T. Charles Erickson

W ARTicles 15 INDIVIDOUARL TIDCKEETSR TO ATLL OSHODWS AONY SA!LE NOW 617.547.8300 www.amrep.org SUBSCRIBE & SAVE subscribe & save! ticket prices CHOOSE ANY 3 OR MORE PLAYS AND SAVE! • Free and easy ticket exchange! LOEB STAGE A B • Create your own season — Fri/Sat evenings $76 $53 choose any 3 or more plays! All other perfs $66 $38 • All subscriptions are discounted — save up to 26% off single ticket prices ONION CELLAR AT ZERO ARROW table seats* stools* • Discounts on parking and fine dining Fri/Sat evenings $50 $25 in Harvard Square All other perfs $38 $25 new to the A.R.T.? Table seating is “cabaret-style”. Stool seats are located around the lip of the SPECIAL 3 FOR $75 SUBSCRIBE NOW WITH NO RISK stage, at the bar, and at the back of the theatre. We’re so sure you’ll enjoy the 2006-07 Choose any 3 plays and season, here’s a money-back guarantee: box office hours fill in $25 (below) for After you’ve seen your first two productions, if you’re not LOEB STAGE Loeb or Zero Arrow price. completely satisfied, just give us a call and we’ll refund the Tuesday — Sunday noon — 5pm Good for Section B seats remainder of your season tickets. (New subscribers only.) Monday closed any time except Fri/Sat eves. Performance days open until curtain A.R.T. student pass ZERO ARROW THEATRE $60 gets you 5 tickets good for any combination of Open one hour before curtain time. plays. That’s only $12 a seat! (Full-time college students only.) new! exchanges for single ticket buyers preplay Sometimes emergencies do arise, and you may Preshow discussions one hour before 7:30 curtain need to change the date of your performance. led by the Literary Department. Loeb Stage only. Now single ticket buyers can exchange for a transaction fee of $10. As always, A.R.T. Wings of Desire preplays subscribers can exchange for free! Sunday, December 10, Wednesday, December 13, Thursday, December 14 discount parking Importance of Being Earnest preplays LOEB STAGE Thursday, January 4, Sunday, January 7, Have your ticket stub stamped at the reception Wednesday, January 10 desk when you attend a performace and receive discounts at the University Place Garage or The playback Charles Hotel Garage. Post-show discussions after all Saturday matinees. All ticket holders welcome. ZERO ARROW THEATRE Discount parking is available at the Harvard curtain times University lot at 1033 Mass. Ave. (entrance on Tue/Wed/Thu/Sun evenings — 7:30pm Ellery Street.) There is also valet parking availabe at Friday/Saturday evenings — 8:00pm the nearby Grafton Street Pub & Grill. See page 11. Saturday/Sunday matinees — 2:00pm Go to www.amrep.org/venues/zarrow/ for more information. The Onion Cellar December 22/January 12 performances at 7pm and 11pm Loeb Stage Zero Arrow Theatre

50 at $15 50 seats for every performance on sale for only $15!

wings Wings of Desire Loeb Stage onion The Onion Cellar Zero Arrow Theatre 50 seats for each performance that will go on sale at noon earnest The Importance of Being Earnest Loeb Stage on the day of each s how (while seats remain). show P post-show discussion Pshow pre-show discussion, one hour before curtain Purchase 2 easy ways: show SM student matinee, 10am call 617-547-8300 x 8844 to book a student goup • by phone –– 617.547.8300 show B Breakfast at the A.R.T. , 9am coffee, pastries & conversation, followed by performance • in person –– 64 Brattle Street, Harvard Square Curtain Times: (unless otherwise indicated) For info on availability, go to amrep.org Tue/Wed/Thu 7:30pm Fri 8pm Sat 2&8pm Sun 2&7:30pm The Onion Cellar December 22 & January 12 performances at 7pm and 11pm First come, first served!