Miss Julie
A Drama Adapted by Craig Lucas
From the play by August Strindberg
Based on a literal translation by Anders Cato
Directed by Samantha Van Der Merwe
|May 5th - June 10th 2017|
*Nominated for Best Production* - Drammy Awards
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What critics and audience members are saying
"Visceral, mesmerizing, emotional theater at its best!"
"Imaginative, inventive, simple, and profound."
"This brilliantly performed production is a must see."
"Brilliant, intense, and devastating."
"Imaginative, inventive, simple, and profound."
"This brilliantly performed production is a must see."
"Brilliant, intense, and devastating."
"Excellent." "August Strindberg's MISS JULIE, now playing at Shaking the Tree, is exactly the perfect play to see right now."
-Krista Garver, Broadway World
READ MORE HERE
"Last night I was lucky enough to see their preview for Miss Julie and it was utterly jaw-dropping. Brilliant adaptation, electric chemistry, ingenious use of space. Well worth your time." - Patron
"Shaking-the-Tree Theatre's production of Strindberg's MISS JULIE opened tonight, and is brilliant, intense, and devastating. With a black-and-white set and runway staging in a very intimate space, Director Samantha Van Der Merwe focuses all the attention on the power plays among the three characters, all of whom are trapped in a society that grants them no power and no path to happiness or success. I was mesmerized by the passionately intense acting of Beth Thompson, Matthew Kerrigan, and Kelly Godell. What a beautifully painful play!" -Ronni Lacroute (valued patron)
"Once again, at last night's opening, Shaking the Tree hit it out of the park with a new adaptation by Craig Lucas of August Strindberg's, MISS JULIE. Directed by Samantha Van Der Merwe, with Beth Thompson as Miss Julie, and Matthew Kerrigan as Jean, the servant, play a very mean and dangerous game of seduction. As the two fiercely battle for power, Kelly Godell as Kristine, the cook, disapprovingly observes. It really resonates with us, as we live through present day politics with class, gender, and rich white male dominance pervading our lives. This brilliantly performed production is a must see." -Len Magazine (valued patron)
-Krista Garver, Broadway World
READ MORE HERE
"Last night I was lucky enough to see their preview for Miss Julie and it was utterly jaw-dropping. Brilliant adaptation, electric chemistry, ingenious use of space. Well worth your time." - Patron
"Shaking-the-Tree Theatre's production of Strindberg's MISS JULIE opened tonight, and is brilliant, intense, and devastating. With a black-and-white set and runway staging in a very intimate space, Director Samantha Van Der Merwe focuses all the attention on the power plays among the three characters, all of whom are trapped in a society that grants them no power and no path to happiness or success. I was mesmerized by the passionately intense acting of Beth Thompson, Matthew Kerrigan, and Kelly Godell. What a beautifully painful play!" -Ronni Lacroute (valued patron)
"Once again, at last night's opening, Shaking the Tree hit it out of the park with a new adaptation by Craig Lucas of August Strindberg's, MISS JULIE. Directed by Samantha Van Der Merwe, with Beth Thompson as Miss Julie, and Matthew Kerrigan as Jean, the servant, play a very mean and dangerous game of seduction. As the two fiercely battle for power, Kelly Godell as Kristine, the cook, disapprovingly observes. It really resonates with us, as we live through present day politics with class, gender, and rich white male dominance pervading our lives. This brilliantly performed production is a must see." -Len Magazine (valued patron)
About the play
‘Filthy...’, ‘a heap of ordure...’, ‘debauched...’, ‘will surely nowhere find an audience that could bear to see it...’, ‘totally repellent...’, ‘repulsive...’ is is how critics responded to Froken Julie (Miss Julie) when it was published on 23 November 1888.
Miss Julie deals with bold themes of class and sexual identity politics. Notwithstanding the progress made in breaking down gender barriers, the inequalities inherent in a patriarchal system persist in modern society. Miss Julie highlights these imbalances.
The master and the slave relationship is one that is characterized by dependence, demand and cruelty. Miss Julie, a one-act tragedy, is no doubt a brutally frank portrayal of the most intimate thoughts of man and of the age-long antagonism between classes. Brutally frank, because August Strindberg strips both of their glitter, their sham and pretense, that we may see that "at bottom there's not so much difference between people and -- people."
The history of human civilization shows beyond any doubt that there is an intimate connection between cruelty and the sexual instinct. Miss Julie subverts the slave-master relationship. The struggle for dominance and power is closely linked with the theme of sexuality in the unconscious.
In this new adaptation of Strindberg's classic drama, mistress of the house, Miss Julie, and her servant play a dangerous game of seduction in an effort to relieve themselves of their trapped existences. Using everything in their arsenals from sex to money, the two battle each other in a struggle for power and escape.
Miss Julie deals with bold themes of class and sexual identity politics. Notwithstanding the progress made in breaking down gender barriers, the inequalities inherent in a patriarchal system persist in modern society. Miss Julie highlights these imbalances.
The master and the slave relationship is one that is characterized by dependence, demand and cruelty. Miss Julie, a one-act tragedy, is no doubt a brutally frank portrayal of the most intimate thoughts of man and of the age-long antagonism between classes. Brutally frank, because August Strindberg strips both of their glitter, their sham and pretense, that we may see that "at bottom there's not so much difference between people and -- people."
The history of human civilization shows beyond any doubt that there is an intimate connection between cruelty and the sexual instinct. Miss Julie subverts the slave-master relationship. The struggle for dominance and power is closely linked with the theme of sexuality in the unconscious.
In this new adaptation of Strindberg's classic drama, mistress of the house, Miss Julie, and her servant play a dangerous game of seduction in an effort to relieve themselves of their trapped existences. Using everything in their arsenals from sex to money, the two battle each other in a struggle for power and escape.
Cast
Miss Julie: Beth Thompson
Jean: Matthew Kerrigan
Kristine: Kelly Godell*
*Member of Actors Equity Association
Jean: Matthew Kerrigan
Kristine: Kelly Godell*
*Member of Actors Equity Association
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Creative Team
Direction & Scenic Design: Samantha Van Der Merwe
Lighting Design: Jeff Woods
Sound Design: Annalise Albright Woods
Costume Design: Alanna Hylton
Photographic Design: Meg Nanna
Video Design: Sam Gronke
Technical Director: Ted Gold
Master Carpenter: William Gebo
Stage Manager: Natasha Stockem
Assistant Stage Manager: Lexie Quandt
Lighting Design: Jeff Woods
Sound Design: Annalise Albright Woods
Costume Design: Alanna Hylton
Photographic Design: Meg Nanna
Video Design: Sam Gronke
Technical Director: Ted Gold
Master Carpenter: William Gebo
Stage Manager: Natasha Stockem
Assistant Stage Manager: Lexie Quandt
Rehearsal images
Miss Julie is generously supported by Ronni Lacroute and members of Shaking the Tree's Board, as well as many other individual supporters. More info here
Produced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc.
Produced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc.
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Shaking the Tree Theatre is located at 823 SE Grant St.
Portland, OR 97214
Oue main office is located at 2136 SE 8th Ave
Portland, OR 97214
For our theatre: Look for the Big Blue Warehouse on the corner od SE 9th and Grant and enter through the gate.
For our main office: look for the beautiful mural on the corner of SE 8th and Grant. Entrance is on SE 8th.
Major Funding provided by
Ronni S. Lacroute Fund of Oregon Community Foundation, Jessie Jonas, Anonymous, Ellyn Bye, the Regional Arts & Culture Council, including support from the City of Portland, Multnomah County, the Arts Education & Access Fund, Prosper Portland, the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, the Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation, the Shubert Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Collins Foundation, the Oregon Cultural Trust, the Oregon Arts Commission, the Rose and David Dortort Foundation, supporting organization of the California Community Foundation, Portland Events and Film, and the Multnomah County Cultural Coalition.
