THE CUTTING BALL THEATER NEWSLETTER
February 23, 2006 Volume 2, Issue 7

Contents:
1. Last Chance to See Critically Acclaimed Production of The Maids
2. Educational Programming a Hot Ticket for Local Youth
3. Medea Another Hit at the Hidden Classics Reading Series
4. Upcoming Productions

Last Chance to See The Maids!

Two more chances to see what critics are raving about:
The Maids by Jean Genet in a new translation by Martin Crimp!

Must close February 25!

             

(Click on Quotes for Full Articles)

"The Maids... is now enjoying a run at Exit Stage Left under the capable production of the Cutting Ball Theater, one of San Francisco's most daring, and literate, troupe of dramaturgists around."
     - SF Station

"The Cutting Ball Theater's crisp, elegantly staged production affirms its still-compelling style and darkly poetic force and Adriana Baer's taut, intelligent direction makes the most of playwright Martin Crimp's bracing new translation."
     - SF Bay Guardian

"The Cutting Ball is one of the more ambitious and talented companies currently presenting works in the Bay Area. They are not afraid to tackle the complex – indeed, they seem to relish the challenge"
     - Bay Times

"Director Adriana Baer packages the tale adeptly in this sexy and provoking production."
      - SF Weekly

The Cutting Ball Theater’s Talk-Back Series Engages Local Youth

With The Maids, The Cutting Ball inaugurated their talk-back series for high school and college students. Director Adriana Baer, joined by literary manager and dramaturg Bill Selig and the cast and crew, spent time with students from Berkeley High School, Marin Academy High School, UC Berkeley, Lycee Française, and French American International School.

The talk-backs focused primarily on the process of bringing a difficult text to life (including great questions about translations) and creating a play. Discussions also surrounded clarifying “what really happened” during this multi-layered, complex, and challenging piece. The students were wonderful audiences, and their questions to the actors and director were deep, well thought out, and engaging.

We received this letter from a teacher at Berkeley High:

Dear Cutting Ball:
Again I wanted to say … seeing the Maids was a terrific experience for me and my students. … There was a lot of passion in that show and some very memorable moments that have burned themselves into my mind. … Seeing theatre is the best teacher of acting and directing, so thanks for helping me teach these kids.

 Thanks,
Jordan Winer
Head of Drama
Berkeley High School

Medea at the Hidden Classics Reading Series

Mei Ann Tao directed the 3 rd reading in our Hidden Classics Reading Series at Modern Times Bookstore. Her interpretation of the chorus in Seneca’s Medea was especially exciting- joining individual voices with Medea’s to signify aspects of the queen’s soul: child, bride, soft wisdom, etc. Seneca’s Medea is the Roman interpretation of the Medea story, and his text is streamlined, forceful, and direct.

The Hidden Classics Reading Series audience is a wonderful treat for The Cutting Ball. Most are bookstore regulars, not necessarily theatergoers, and their questions and comments during the talk-back primarily approach the text and translations from a literary perspective.

Please join us for our next reading:

The Changeling, by William Rowley and Thomas Middleton
Directed by William Selig
March 14 @ 7pm
Modern Times Bookstore
888 Valencia Street / San Francisco
No Charge.

Upcoming Productions:  

The Death of the Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World
by Suzan-Lori Parks
May 19- June 24

The Hidden Classics Reading Series at Modern Times Bookstore
The Changeling by Thomas Middleton and William Rowley March 14
Expressionist Texts by Oskar Kokoschka and Ernst Toller April 4

Please consider making a contribution to The Cutting Ball!

The Cutting Ball Theater relies on donations from individuals to continue producing the high-quality, energetic work on which we pride ourselves. Like most performing arts organizations, the majority of donated funds come from individual theater-lovaers, not government agencies or corporate foundations. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation, please visit: http://cuttingball.com/donate.php

For more information about The Cutting Ball, please visit www.cuttingball.com .

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