SPEAKEASY THEATRE STEPS OUT WITH ARTHUR
MILLER'S "AFTER THE FALL"
Speakeasy Theatre proudly presents a gripping
production of Arthur Miller's
"After the Fall," directed by Artistic Director Rebecca Goodberg. Titled after the fabled human exile from Eden and the birth of sin, this urgent work condemns our desperate love of innocence
and challenges us to face what lives inside us all.
"After the Fall" reveals the betrayal of a man by his rational mind.
Quentin, a middle-aged, twice-divorced lawyer, stands broken in the wake of the Second World War, feeling alone, inadequate and
"unblessed." The hounds of McCarthyism have divided him from his
friends and brought his very definition of loyalty into question, while the legacy of Auschwitz haunts him like a reflection of his own murderous instincts. Quentin struggles to take stock of himself by recalling the people of his past and unearthing his own complicity in his personal and professional traumas. The play hurtles him mercilessly towards a shocking glimpse of the violence and hope that still writhe lasciviously beneath his desperate defenses.
Quentin's archetypal anxieties arise from the difficulty of moral decision in a world where we all have the capacity to destroy each other. We are facing the same questions today in our post-postmodern world as we did when "After the Fall" was first produced in 1964.
However, because we believe we have answered them, these cries for order have faded into a deceptively comfortable hum that no longer stings us to action.
This energetic production will use a seven actor ensemble, Expressionistic scenic and costume design, choreography and
original music to rupture the sense of complacency that tends to shroud modern American thinking. It is time to ask these questions in a new way. It is time to pay attention.
Speakeasy Theatre is a collective of adventurous artists committed to sharing engaging and truthful theatre with the community. We mount both original plays and bold reconceptions of classic works with a passionate attention to meaning.
Originally founded in 1995, Speakeasy has housed the work of Josh Kornbluth, Octavio Solis, Grace Wolcott, Anne Galjour and Wilma
Bonet, and has produced such plays as 1998's acclaimed performance of Mike Leigh's "Ecstasy." Our proud history of edgy playmaking now informs a full renovation of our space, our management, and our mission. 2002 marks a brand new era for Speakeasy Theatre and a rebirth of our dedication to brave and
imaginative art.
Our times remind us now more than ever to celebrate the power of creative expression to inspire dialogue, with ourselves and with each other.
Speakeasy Theatre is proud to fulfill that mission by stepping out of the expected to explore the possible.
PRODUCTION INFORMATION
DIRECTED BY Rebecca Goodberg
FEATURING Sylvia Burboeck, Peter Carlstrom, Bruce Cronander, Peggy DeCoursey, Onico Edain, Greg Lucey & Marin Van Young
ORIGINAL MUSIC BY Christopher Keyes
CHOREOGRAPHY BY Elizabeth Keats Dunn
COSTUMES BY Michelle Baecht
LIGHTING DESIGN BY Matthew Schuman
SCENIC DESIGN BY Ruben Jackson & Irina Mikhalevich
GRAPHIC DESIGN BY Odessa Chen
STAGE MANAGED BY Jessamyn Fairfield
ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGED BY Courtney Little
LIGHT & SOUND BOARD OPERATED BY Andrew Jones
PREVIEWS Friday, March 1 at 8 pm
OPENING NIGHT GALA Saturday, March 2 at 8 pm
Refreshments and live music by local vocalist ODESSA CHEN to follow the performance.
CONTINUES Fridays & Saturdays at 8 pm
SPECIAL SUNDAY MATINEES March 10, 17 & 24 at 2 pm
Post show discussion to follow the performance on Sunday,
March 17.
NO PERFORMANCE Saturday, March 16
CLOSES Saturday, April 6
ADMISSION
Preview $8 | Opening Night Gala $20
General $15 | Students, Seniors & Theatre Bay Area $10
SPEAKEASY THEATRE is located at 2016 Seventh Street
just off University Avenue in North Berkeley.
Call 510.845.4100 or visit
www.speakeasytheatre.org for details.
Call 866.468.3399 or visit www.ticketweb.com
for tickets.
Rebecca Goodberg
Artistic Director & Director of Public
Relations
rebecca@speakeasytheatre.org