16 August, 2016
The Hopkinton Center for the Arts presents the site-responsive staging of the spellbinding play, "An Iliad", produced by award-winning New York producer Brad Learmonth and directed and designed by James Blaszko.
"An Iliad", by Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare
adapted from Homer’s Iliad,
translated by Robert Fagles
Produced by Brad Learmonth / Brad@Large
Directed and Designed by James Blaszko
Starring Patrick Vincent Curran
Featuring Courtnee Roze
"An Iliad" unfolds in unlikely and poignant ways in each setting of this premiere run. After a sold out opening in a Sag Harbor junkyard, it now makes its way to Hopkinton, and uses a scattershot pile of granite slabs as its backdrop. In the waning light of day, an intimate audience of 35 gathers around a campfire to hear this breathtaking modern retelling of Homer’s classic, powerfully and singularly performed by Patrick Vincent Curran -- reflecting the manner in which Homer himself may have told the tale.
When suddenly The Poet drives up in a pickup truck, the magic of the evening begins to unfold, with the help of the muses, who appear in surprising ways. Audiences are drawn into the fateful clash between Achilles and Hector on the battlefields of the Trojan War by the unexpected use of the truck, a car and a drone, taking the story further out of the theatre and grounding it in the here and now. A litany of wars and battles, past and present, land a visceral blow to the senses that are done with deftness of humor, pathos, horror and humanity. When first presented as a work-in-progress at an historic veteran’s cemetery in Jersey City, last year, its gripping storytelling and unfolding surprises left audience members speechless.
The play, which brings sharp focus to the price of war and our current world, was written over a ten-year period in the aftermath of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Written as a means to talk about our country at war it combines the epic tale of the Trojan War with poignant contemporary references in a tour-de-force solo performance by an actor playing a character simply called The Poet. The Poet’s fate, tied to ours, is summed up in one of his early lines: “Every time I sing this song, I hope it’s the last time.” It has won numerous awards, including an Obie Award, the Lucille Lortel Award, five Craig Noel Awards (San Diego), the Joseph Jefferson Award (Chicago), the Gregory Award (Seattle) and the Elliot Norton Award (Boston).
With limited seating of 35 per show, this is going to be a ticket to grab early. Be among the first to witness this thrilling interpretation of this important work.
Ticket Information:
"An Iliad" will be performed on Thursday and Friday, August 25 and 26 (rain date, August 28) at 7:30pm at the Hopkinton Center for the Arts, 98 Hayden Rowe St. Hopkinton, MA 01748. Parking is available. Tickets are $35. Tickets may be purchased online at www.hopartscenter.org.
Brad Learmonth (Executive Producer) has had a distinguished and award-winning career as an arts professional for over three decades. In 2014, he was awarded the William Dawson Award for Programmatic Excellence and Sustained Achievement in Programming, from the Association of Performing Arts Presenters. For 28 years, Mr. Learmonth called Harlem Stage his professional home, where he was at the forefront of developing a platform of support and presentation for visionary artists of color at all points in their careers. Such artists include Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, Bill T. Jones, Nona Hendryx, Cassandra Wilson, Vijay Iyer, Jason Moran, Stew and Heidi Rodewald. He has also created robust audience engagement and educational opportunities for the Harlem community and greater New York area. Mr. Learmonth has served on numerous panels and boards and is currently a member of the NYC Arts Education Roundtable Diversity Task Force as well as a board member of One Spirit Learning Alliance in NYC.
James Blaszko (Director) directs and choreographs multidisciplinary productions that range from large-scale opera to site-specific solo performance. His professional directing debut, an original adaptation of Cyclops: A Satyr Play, premiered at the American Repertory Theatre’s Oberon, which DigBoston called “a shoe-in for Oberon’s raucous, challenging, crowd-pleasing programming” during its sold out run. James has assisted and supported productions with ArtsEmerson, Beth Morrison Projects, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Big Dance Theatre, Harlem Stage, Concrete Temple Theatre, and visual artist Jeff Stark.
Patrick Vincent Curran (Poet) is an actor on the rise, recently seen on FOX’s Gotham and FX Network’s Louie. He has performed in numerous classical plays and adaptations, such as A Streetcar Named Desire (Wax Wings Productions), Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged (Hub Theatre Company of Boston), A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Romeo and Juliet (Brown Box Theatre Project). He received his training at Emerson College in Boston, MA.
Courtnee Roze (Muse) has been studying and playing percussion from the age of seven. She is the founder of the NYC-based the band Courtnee Roze The Musical, a collective of musicians. Roze has held over 40 workshops and percussion classes in New York City. She has performed and worked with J. Cole,Tony Award winner Lachanze, Cirque Du Soliel, Tom Brady and Alicia Keys. She has performed at Carnegie Hall (Best Buddies New York), Joe's Pub (The Musical), Apollo Theater, The Barclays Center (Brooklyn Nets), and Madison Square Garden (New York Knicks).
###
The Hopkinton Center for the Arts (HCA) cultivates an inclusive and vibrant community committed to the exploration and enjoyment of the visual and performing arts throughout Hopkinton and the MetroWest region. To learn more call (508) 435-9222 or visit www.hopartscenter.org.
