As the nation gears up for the election, join us for a wild ride through the absurd, the satirical, and the deeply thought-provoking with UBU America. This staged reading series invites you to gather with us in community, find humor in the madness, and muse on what it all means as we approach this pivotal moment in history.
Week One:
UBU REX by Alfred Jarry
Directed by Samantha Van Der Merwe Thursday October 24th at 7:30pm Evocation to Visible Appearance by Mark Shultz Directed by Rebby Yuer Foster Friday October 25th at 7:30pm POTUS by Selina Fillinger Directed by Kayla Hanson Saturday October 26th at 7:30pm |
Week TwoThe Crucible by Arthur Miller
Directed by Samantha Van Der Merwe Thursday October 31st at 7:30pm Heroes of the Fourth Turning by Will Arbery Directed by Rebby Yuer Foster Friday November 1st at 7:30pm UBU ROAR by Brenda Withers Directed by Bobby Bermea Saturday November 2nd at 7:30pm |
About the Plays:
UBU REX
Germinated in the author’s youth, and developed over his creative lifetime, the three UBU PLAYS embody Alfred Jarry’s growing disenchantment with the disjointed society of his time—which is our time as well. The first play, UBU REX, is a strange parody of Macbeth, set in an imaginary Poland, which details the rise to the throne of Pere Ubu, a grotesque, outlandish figure who personifies all that is base and stupid in mankind. The language and action of the play are terse and direct, yet eloquent in conveying the startling parallels between the ruthless, ugly world of Ubu and our own times.
Evocation to Visible Appearance
You wanna know what the future looks like? Samantha, 17 and possibly pregnant, longs for solid ground—but she’s haunted by the sense that nothing will last. Her college-bound boyfriend wants to go sing on The Voice, her dad’s asleep on the couch, and her older sister’s in treatment. When Sam befriends a tattooed musician, has she found someone who understands this fallen world? With black humor and black metal, this gripping new play gives form to a gathering darkness.
POTUS
An uproarious Broadway debut by playwright Selina Fillinger, POTUS Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive is a riotous comedy about the women in charge of the man in charge of the free world. One four-letter word is about to rock 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. When the President unwittingly spins a PR nightmare into a global crisis, the seven brilliant and beleaguered women he relies upon most risk life, liberty, and the pursuit of sanity to keep the commander-in-chief out of trouble.
The Crucible
Widely considered a masterpiece, this timeless classic challenges American ideas of power, intolerance, and justice. In the Puritan community of Salem, Massachusetts, a servant girl accuses a farmer’s wife of witchcraft. One accusation spirals into many, uncovering a web of bigotry and deceit that changes their lives forever. Among the most produced plays since its 1953 debut, THE CRUCIBLE is both a gripping historical drama and an evergreen parable of contemporary society.
Heroes of the Fourth Turning
It's nearing midnight in Wyoming, where four young conservatives have gathered at a backyard after-party. They've returned home to toast their mentor Gina, newly inducted as president of a tiny Catholic college. But as their reunion spirals into spiritual chaos and clashing generational politics, it becomes less a celebration than a vicious fight to be understood. On a chilly night in the middle of America, Will Arbery's haunting play offers grace and disarming clarity, speaking to the heart of a country at war with itself.
Ubu Roar
Ubu Roar is an "hilarious, profound and raucous" new translation and adaptation of Alfred Jarry’s absurdist classic Ubu Roi. Brenda Withers brings a contemporary twist to the original play’s anarchic spirit, transforming the tale of a power-hungry, grotesque leader into a biting satire on greed, corruption, and the absurdities of power. The play retains the chaotic energy and dark humor of the original while making it relevant to today's political and social climate. Withers’ Ubu Roar is both a homage to Jarry’s revolutionary work and a bold statement on the timeless nature of authoritarianism and the farce it often becomes.
Germinated in the author’s youth, and developed over his creative lifetime, the three UBU PLAYS embody Alfred Jarry’s growing disenchantment with the disjointed society of his time—which is our time as well. The first play, UBU REX, is a strange parody of Macbeth, set in an imaginary Poland, which details the rise to the throne of Pere Ubu, a grotesque, outlandish figure who personifies all that is base and stupid in mankind. The language and action of the play are terse and direct, yet eloquent in conveying the startling parallels between the ruthless, ugly world of Ubu and our own times.
Evocation to Visible Appearance
You wanna know what the future looks like? Samantha, 17 and possibly pregnant, longs for solid ground—but she’s haunted by the sense that nothing will last. Her college-bound boyfriend wants to go sing on The Voice, her dad’s asleep on the couch, and her older sister’s in treatment. When Sam befriends a tattooed musician, has she found someone who understands this fallen world? With black humor and black metal, this gripping new play gives form to a gathering darkness.
POTUS
An uproarious Broadway debut by playwright Selina Fillinger, POTUS Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive is a riotous comedy about the women in charge of the man in charge of the free world. One four-letter word is about to rock 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. When the President unwittingly spins a PR nightmare into a global crisis, the seven brilliant and beleaguered women he relies upon most risk life, liberty, and the pursuit of sanity to keep the commander-in-chief out of trouble.
The Crucible
Widely considered a masterpiece, this timeless classic challenges American ideas of power, intolerance, and justice. In the Puritan community of Salem, Massachusetts, a servant girl accuses a farmer’s wife of witchcraft. One accusation spirals into many, uncovering a web of bigotry and deceit that changes their lives forever. Among the most produced plays since its 1953 debut, THE CRUCIBLE is both a gripping historical drama and an evergreen parable of contemporary society.
Heroes of the Fourth Turning
It's nearing midnight in Wyoming, where four young conservatives have gathered at a backyard after-party. They've returned home to toast their mentor Gina, newly inducted as president of a tiny Catholic college. But as their reunion spirals into spiritual chaos and clashing generational politics, it becomes less a celebration than a vicious fight to be understood. On a chilly night in the middle of America, Will Arbery's haunting play offers grace and disarming clarity, speaking to the heart of a country at war with itself.
Ubu Roar
Ubu Roar is an "hilarious, profound and raucous" new translation and adaptation of Alfred Jarry’s absurdist classic Ubu Roi. Brenda Withers brings a contemporary twist to the original play’s anarchic spirit, transforming the tale of a power-hungry, grotesque leader into a biting satire on greed, corruption, and the absurdities of power. The play retains the chaotic energy and dark humor of the original while making it relevant to today's political and social climate. Withers’ Ubu Roar is both a homage to Jarry’s revolutionary work and a bold statement on the timeless nature of authoritarianism and the farce it often becomes.
UBU REX CastMa UBU Liz Hayden
Pa UBU Roo Welsh Captain Macnure Maesie Spear King Wenceslas Erin Leddy Queen Rosamund Yoonie Cho Boleslas Max Bernsohn Ladislas Ken Yoshikawa Boggerlas Rocco Weyer |
Evocation to Visible Appearance CastSamantha Malu Willhoft
Trevor Orlando Reyes Cabrera Russell Roo Welsh Natalie Sammy Rat Rios Hudson Rocco Weyer Martin Clifton Holznagel Stage Directions Ashi Dancler |
POTUS CastHarriet Barbie Wu
Jean Tricia Castañeda-Guevara Stephanie Olivia Mathews Dusty Lizzy Rees Bernadette Diane Kondrat Chris Kayla Kelly Margaret Shareen Jacobs Stage Directions David Bodin |
The Crucible
|
Heroes of the Fourth Turning CastJustin Jon Bolden
Emily Annabel Cantor Kevin Rocco Weyer Teresa Rose Proctor |
