WORMWOOD NO BOUNDARIES: A SERIES OF GLOBAL PERFORMANCES
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WORLD PERFORMANCE PROJECT AT YALE FUNDED BY THE ANDREW W. MELLON FOUNDATION
Proud to support New Haven’s rich tradition of world class arts and entertainment for over 190 years.
NOVEMBER 5 TO 7, 2009 YALE REPERTORY THEATRE JAMES BUNDY, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR VICTORIA NOLAN, MANAGING DIRECTOR AND
WORLD PERFORMANCE PROJECT AT YALE JOSEPH ROACH, PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR EMILY COATES, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR PRESENT
WORMWOOD BY THEATRE OF THE EIGHTH DAY (TEATR ÓSMEGO DNIA) WRITTEN AND DESIGNED BY THE ENSEMBLE DIRECTED BY LECH RACZAK MUSIC BY ARNOLD DĄBROWSKI
Presented in association with the Polish Cultural Institute in New York and the European Studies Council, with a Title VI National Resource Center grant from the US Department of Education.
www.PolishCulture-NYC.org
WORMWOOD IS PERFORMED WITHOUT INTERMISSION.
PLEASE JOIN US AFTER THE PERFORMANCE FOR A TALK BACK WITH THE ARTISTS.
COVER PHOTO BY LESZEK SCZANIECKI.
WELCOME On behalf of World Performance Project at Yale and Yale Repertory Theatre, we welcome you to No Boundaries: A Series of Global Performances. Our 2009–10 season offers an extraordinary spectrum of theatre, performance, and dance from around the globe, celebrating the diversity of voices and experiences worldwide. Wormwood, conceived and performed by the Polish theatre company Theatre of the Eighth Day (Teatr Ósmego Dnia), blurs the line between fantasy and reality in its portrayal of life in Poland under martial law. The company was founded in 1964 and faced some of the bleakest years of the Communist regime in Poland. Despite constant surveillance, censorship, and government oppression for the first twenty-five years of its existence, Theatre of the Eighth Day has flourished. Today, based in Poznań, they continue to create work that is both artistically and politically vital. We are honored to present this rare remounting of the landmark 1985 production that prompted the company’s exile from Poland. In January, New York solo performance legend Taylor Mac sings about love, mermaids, subway safety, and revolution in The Be(A)st of Taylor Mac, a wild—and wildly funny— gender-bending fusion of cabaret, politics, and stark raving fabulousness. And in March, we welcome Japanese multimedia performance group Baby-Q to present MESs, a work that explores gender and transformation in a world of constant loss and confusion. Yoko Higashino, the choreographer and performer of this piece, is one of Japan’s rising stars and the recipient of some of her country’s highest honors for her work. No Boundaries offers a variety of related programs, all free and open to the public. From workshops to lectures to post-show talk backs, we are committed to giving our audiences unique access to the artists—opportunities both to see the work on stage and to discuss the work with the creators themselves. A full schedule of related programs is available at yalerep.org/wpp. Thank you for joining us tonight for this performance of Wormwood. We look forward to sharing the entire No Boundaries season with you as we host some of the world’s most inventive and thought-provoking artists. Sincerely,
Joseph Roach, Principal Investigator World Performance Project at Yale
Emily Coates, Artistic Director World Performance Project at Yale
James Bundy, Artistic Director Yale Repertory Theatre
ABOUT THEATRE OF THE EIGHTH DAY (TEATR ÓSMEGO DNIA) Founded in 1964, Theatre of the Eighth Day quickly became the most famous and internationally recognized Polish underground theatre. Taking its name from a line by Polish poet Konstanty Ildefons Gałczyński, “On the seventh day, the Lord God rested, and on the eighth, He created theatre,” Theatre of the Eighth Day was originally formed as a student group that performed poetry and drama. After studying Jerzy Grotowski’s techniques and witnessing the civil unrest and student protests of 1968, their performance style became more physical and less verbal, and the company resolved to remain in dialogue with both the artistic and political movements in society. However, they always rejected the label “political theatre.” Theatre of the Eighth Day was subjected to years of censorship and government oppression as it continued to produce theatre behind the Iron Curtain. The Polish government eventually withdrew all subsidies and issued an official announcement that the group had disbanded. However, Theatre of the Eighth Day continued to produce work underground and was invited to the Edinburgh Festival to perform Wormwood in 1985. Only half of the company was granted visas by Polish authorities, and a new piece, Auto Da Fé, was devised and performed in its place. Auto Da Fé won the “Fringe First” prize, an achievement denounced by the Polish government because, according to them, the group “did not exist.” Theatre of the Eighth Day has created some of the most important works for the Polish stage: In One Breath (1971); Discounts for All (1977); Oh, How Nobly We Lived (1979); and Auto Da Fé (1985). Since the collapse of the Communist regime in Poland, the company, currently based in Poznań, continues to be recognized as a leader among Polish alternative theatres.
PHOTOS BY LESZEK SCZANIECKI.
BIOGRAPHIES ADAM BOROWSKI (ACTOR) A Graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Poznań, Adam
joined Theatre of the Eighth Day in 1974 and made his debut a year later in Do We Have to Settle For What Has Been Called Paradise on Earth? He has co-created and performed in all of Theatre of the Eighth Day’s pieces since then, including More Than Just One Life (1981), Report from the Besieged City (1983), The Sabbath (1993), Dance as Long as You Can (1994), The Summit (1998), The Ark (2000), Porter’s Lodge (2003), and The Time of Mothers (2006). Adam is also the company’s co-graphic designer.
JACEK CHMAJ (VISUAL DESIGN) joined Theatre of the Eighth Day in 1990 and designs scenery and lighting for the company. He is co-author of many of the company’s outdoor productions, including The Sabbath (1993), The Summit (1998), The Ark (2000), and The Time of Mothers (2006).
TADEUSZ JANISZEWSKI (ACTOR) began his work with Theatre of the Eighth Day in 1970, performing in Relay Race and In One Breath. Since 1973, he has participated in all of the group’s productions, including Discounts for All (1977), More Than Just One Life (1981), Miracles and Meat (theatre action, 1984), Wormwood (1985), No Man’s Land (1991), The Sabbath (1993), Dance as Long as You Can (1994), and The Ark (2000), all of which he co-wrote. The recipient of numerous prizes and distinctions, he served as Director of Theatre of the Eighth Day from 1993–2000 and has run theatre workshops in Poland and throughout Europe.
MARCIN KĘSZYCKI (ACTOR) joined Theatre of the Eighth Day in 1973 and made his
debut with the company in Inspection of the Scene of Crime. He has participated in the creation and performed in all of the company’s productions since, including Discounts for All (1977); Oh, How Nobly We Lived (1979); Wormwood (1985); No Man’s Land (1991); The Sabbath (1993); Porter’s Lodge (20003); and The Time of Mothers (2006). He was politically active in the 1970s and 80s and co-founded NSZZ Solidarity. Forced to emigrate, he stayed abroad with the Theatre beginning in 1986. A leading documentary filmmaker, he has photographed and filmed the company’s performances and other international activities.
EWA WÓJCIAK (ACTOR) joined Theatre of the Eighth Day in the 1970s and serves as its Director. She is an actress and the co-author of many plays, including Discounts for All; Oh, How Nobly We Lived; Wormwood; and No Man’s Land. She has written numerous program manifestos, as well as fundamental artistic and ideological credo of the Theatre. She was a keen supporter of Theatre of the Eighth Day “entering” the street and co-wrote its outdoor shows The Sabbath, The Summit, and The Ark. Her musical repertoire includes Requiem, in which she sings a series of poems by Anna Akhmatova. She has always been convinced that creating art is a form of global empathy and responsibility for the fate of others. She has performed with Theatre of the Eighth Day across Europe and around the world, has directed acting workshops, and remains active socially and politically.
SPECIAL THANKS: The Theatre of the Eighth Day’s appearance was made possible through the generous support of the Trust for Mutual Understanding, the Marshall of the Wielkopolska Region, and the Mayor of the City of Poznań.
WORLD PERFORMANCE PROJECT AT YALE STAFF Joseph Roach, Principal Investigator Emily Coates, Artistic Director Kathryn Krier, Production Manager Joie Chen, Assistant Production Manager Michael Leibenluft, Research Associate
THE WORLD PERFORMANCE PROJECT (WPP) promotes programs in performance studies across departments at Yale. An interdiscipline that draws from the arts, humanities, and human sciences (theater, drama, dance, visual arts, speech, linguistics, anthropology, sociology), performance studies defines as its objects cultural performances of all kinds, from theatrical presentations to rites of passage, and expands its frontiers anywhere significant performances are likely to take place, from Yorubaland to Disneyland. Working in partnership with departments and programs throughout the university, WPP presents performances, workshops, lectures, and symposia with artists and scholars working in a spectrum of performance forms. Through these events, WPP fosters teaching, research, and publication on performance-related topics. Originally established with funding provided by a Distinguished Achievement Award granted to Joseph Roach, Sterling Professor of Theater, by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, WPP is affiliated with the Yale College Theater Studies Program and the Whitney Humanities Center at Yale. For more information about the World Performance Project please visit:
www.yale.edu/wpp
YALE REPERTORY THEATRE STAFF James Bundy, Artistic Director Victoria Nolan, Managing Director Jennifer Kiger, Associate Artistic Director ARTISTIC Resident Artists Paula Vogel, Playwright-in-Residence Liz Diamond, Evan Yionoulis, Resident Directors Catherine Sheehy, Resident Dramaturg Ming Cho Lee, Set Design Advisor Michael Yeargan, Resident Set Designer Jane Greenwood, Costume Design Advisor Jess Goldstein, Resident Costume Designer Jennifer Tipton, Lighting Design Advisor Stephen Strawbridge, Resident Lighting Designer David Budries, Sound Design Advisor Walton Wilson, Voice and Speech Advisor Rick Sordelet, Fight Advisor Mary Hunter, Stage Management Advisor Associate Artists 52nd Street Project, Kama Ginkas, Mark Lamos, MTYZ Theatre/Moscow New Generations Theatre, Bill Rauch, Sarah Ruhl, Henrietta Yanovskaya Commissioned Artists David Adjmi, Todd Almond, Hilary Bell, Adam Bock, Bill Camp, Will Eno, Marcus Gardley, Ann Marie Healy, Amy Herzog, Naomi Iizuka, Dan LeFranc, Liz Meriwether, Scott Murphy, Julie Marie Myatt, Jay Reiss, Octavio Solis, Paula Vogel, Kathryn Walat, Anne Washburn, Marisa Wegrzyn, Robert Woodruff Artistic Administration Amy Boratko, Literary Manager Alex Grennan, Kay Perdue Meadows, Artistic Coordinators Brian Valencia, Walter Byongsok Chon, Literary Associates Tara Rubin, CSA, Laura Schutzel, CSA, Casting Directors Eric Woodall, Merri Sugarman, Casting Associates Paige Blansfield, Rebecca Carfagna, Dale Brown, Casting Assistants Ruth M. Feldman, Director of Education and Accessibility Services Teresa Mensz, Library Services Assistant Josie Brown, Senior Administrative Assistant to the Artistic Director and Associate Artistic Director Kathleen Driscoll, Senior Administrative Assistant for the Directing, Dramaturgy and Dramatic Criticism,Playwriting, and Stage Management Department Mary Volk, Senior Administrative Assistant for the Design and Sound Design Departments
ADMINISTRATION Michael Barker, Belina Mizrahi, Meghan Pressman, Associate Managing Directors Elizabeth Elliott, Art Priromprintr, Assistant Managing Directors Karena Fiorenza Ingersoll, Management Assistant Emalie Mayo, Senior Administrative Assistant to the Managing Director Martha Olivo Jurczak, Company Manager Development and Alumni Affairs Deborah S. Berman, Director of Development and Alumni Affairs Debbie Ellinghaus, Senior Associate Director of Development and Alumni Affairs Whitney Estrin, Associate Director of Development Susan C. Clark, Development Associate Matthew Gutschick, Development Assistant Belene Day, Senior Administrative Assistant to Development and Marketing and Communications Finance and Information Technology Katherine D. BurgueĂąo, Director of Finance and Human Resources Sheila Daykin, Associate Director of Finance Cristal Coleman, Magaly Costa, Maria Frey, Business Office Specialists Randall Rode, Information Technology Director Daryl Brereton, Associate Information Technology Director Niti Mehta, Information Technology Assistant Mara Hazzard, Director, Yale Tessitura Consortium Toni Ann Simiola, Senior Administrative Assistant to Business Office, Information Technology, Operations, and Tessitura Marketing, Communications, and Audience Services Anne Trites, Director of Marketing and Communications Steven Padla, Senior Associate Director of Communications Daniel Cress, Associate Director of Marketing Shinhyoung Shon, Associate Director of Marketing and Communications Devon Smith, Director of Analytics Rachel Smith, Associate Director of Marketing and Audience Services Sarah Stevens-Morling, Online Communications and Print Advertising Manager Maggie Elliott, Marketing and Publications Manager Kit McKay, Marketing Assistant Scott McKowen, Punch & Judy Inc., Graphic Designers David Cooper, Photographer
Janna J. Ellis, Associate Director of Audience Services and Tessitura Specialist Tracy Baldini, Laura Kirk, Assistant Audience Services Directors London Moses, Audience Services Assistant Courtney Engle, Ruth Kim, Tiffany Lin, Sue Malone, William Smith, Anya Van Wagtendonk, Joanna Wilson, Box Office Assistants Operations William J. Reynolds, Director of Theater Safety and Occupational Health Mike Vandercook, Interim Facilities and Operations Manager Rich Abrams, Operations Associate Jacob Thompson, Security Officer Ed Jooss, Audience Safety Officer Fred Grier, Customer Service and Safety Officer Ben Holder, Ron Maybrey, Custodial Supervisors Lucille Bochert, Vermont Ford, Warren Lyde, Vondeen Ricks, Mark Roy, Custodians PRODUCTION Bronislaw J. Sammler, Production Supervisor James Mountcastle, Production Stage Manager Jonathan Reed, Senior Associate Production Supervisor Marla J. Beck, Senior Administrative Assistant to the Production Department Costumes Tom McAlister, Costume Shop Manager Robin Hirsch, Associate Costume Shop Manager Mary Zihal, Senior Draper Clarissa Wylie Youngberg, Draper Deborah Bloch, First Hand Linda Kelley-Dodd, Costume Project Coordinator Barbara Bodine, Company Hairdresser Linda Wingerter, Costume Stock Manager Robert Snipes, Assistant to the Costume Shop Manager Electrics Donald W. Titus, Lighting Supervisor Jason Wells, Linda Young, Head Electricians Painting Ru-Jun Wang, Resident Scenic Charge Angie Meninger, Scenic Artist Nora Hyland, Assistant Scenic Artist Jennifer Herbert, Assistant to the Painting Supervisor
Properties Brian Cookson, Properties Master David P. Schrader, Properties Craftsperson Jennifer McClure, Properties Assistant Rachel Reynolds, Properties Stock Manager Nishi L. Hamrick, Assistant to the Properties Manager Scenery Don Harvey, Neil Mulligan, Technical Directors Alan Hendrickson, Electro Mechanical Laboratory Supervisor Eric Sparks, Shop Foreman Matt Gaffney, Sharon Reinhart, Master Carpenters Lisa McDaniel, Ryan Gardner, Shop Carpenters Amy Jonas, Michael Backhaus, Assistants to the Technical Director Sound Josh Loar, Sound Supervisor Paul Bozzi, Staff Sound Engineer Palmer Heffernan, Nicholas Pope, Assistants to the Sound Supervisor Projections Erik Trester, Head Projection Technician Stage Operations Janet Cunningham, Stage Carpenter Kate Begley Baker, Properties Runner Charles Harbert, Sound Operator Elizabeth Bolster, Wardrobe Supervisor
FOR THIS PRODUCTION Stephen C. Henson, Associate Production Supervisor Art Priomprintr, House Manager Amanda J. Haley, Master Electrician Nicholas Pope, Sound Engineer Shaminda Amarakoon, Stage Carpenter Mark Nagle, Wardrobe Maria Blackwood, Gosia Rejniak, Supertitle Operators Michael Backhaus, Jennifer Johnson, Michael Vincent Skinner, Brian Dambacher, Crew Wormwod, November 5 to 7, 2009. Iseman Theater, 1156 Chapel Street.
“ SUBLIME. A GREAT NEW PLAY!”
repertory theatre
VARIETY
EclipSEd
By DANAI GURIRA Directed by LIESL TOMMY CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE.
La Ronde By Arthur Schnitzler Translated by Carl R. Mueller Directed by Jesse Jou
D E C E M B E R 1 2 TO 1 7 University Theatre, 222 York Street CONTAINS NUDITY, STRONG LANGUAGE, AND ADULT CONTENT.
tHroUgH novEMbEr 14 YALE REPERTORY THEATRE
1120 CHAPEL STREET, NEW HAVEN NOV 7/2PM
NOV 14/2PM
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STACEY SARGEANT, ADEPERO ODUYE, AND PASCALE ARMAND. PHOTO BY CAROL ROSEGG.
tickEtS Start at $10!
drama.yale.edu 2 0 3 . 4 3 2 . 1 2 3 4 TELETYPE ORDERS:
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Yale students perform at Harvard University’s Ivy Dance Exchange
Performances December 4 and 5 at 7pm Harvard Dance Center Cambridge, MA
Co-Sponsored by Jonathan Edwards College and the Theater Studies Program for more information visit yale.edu/wpp
WORLD PERFORMANCE PROJECT AT YALE
noboUndariES: alSo tHiS SEaSon tAYlor MAc UsA
tHE bE(a)St oF taylor Mac
wriTTen and performed By Taylor mac direcTed By david drake
JANUArY 28 to 30 At 8PM UNIversItY theAtre, 222 York street
“ taylor Mac SEdUcES yoU, brEakS yoUr HEart, patcHES it Up, and SEwS SEqUinS along tHE ScarS.” THe irisH Times pHoTo: drew geraci
BABY-Q JAPAN
MESs
By yoko HigasHino and TosHio kajiwara
MArch 25 to 27 At 8PM IseMAN theAter, 1156 chAPel street
“ FaScinating. a viSion oF apocalyptic darknESS pEnEtratEd by a pop SEnSibility.” asaHi newspaper
pHoTo: sanada
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