the exorcist
From the artistic Director
WELCOME TO THE GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE The essence of drama is conflict, and no conflict is more primal than that between a person and his or her demons. The demon can take on many forms, and his appearance as the devil and/or his emissaries has a long and distinguished presence in the theater. From the morality plays of the 1500s to the many incarnations of Faustus and even as recently as Conor McPherson’s The Seafarer, the demon usually appears during a crisis of faith, and The Exorcist is no exception.
Photo by Andrew Southam
What makes The Exorcist such a fundamentally frightening story is that this devil is intimately specific — each character is haunted by the individual things for which they harbor the most guilt. Despair allows the devil in, and as he takes up residence in the innocence of a child, even men of conviction are pushed to examine the depths of their shortcomings. In the hands of John Pielmeier, an extraordinarily insightful playwright who has wrestled with faith in his play Agnes of God, and John Doyle, a director known for his striking originality, this incarnation of The Exorcist has been brought to life in an entirely new way. Mr. Doyle, who began working with Mr. Pielmeier early in the process, has created a vision of The Exorcist as rich and layered as the text itself. Together, writer, director, world class actors and designers have captured the essence of William Peter Blatty’s classic novel and brought it to life with pulsing immediacy and suspense. We are proud to bring the world premiere of this iconic story to the stage. While we know it is a frightening proposition to sit through an evening with the devil, we hope you will find the journey well worth it. Enjoy the show,
Randall Arney Artistic Director
PErFORMANCEs MAGAZINE P1