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Event
The Sublime Theater presents "Krapp's Last Tape" and "The Zoo Story"
Asheville's Sublime Theater follows the success of its inaugural production, "TRNZ," with the classic Off Broadway double bill of Samuel Beckett's "Krapp's Last Tape" and Edward Albee's "The Zoo Story." First performed together in New York in 1960, these remarkable one-act plays have had a tremendous, enduring impact on theatergoers and dramatic writing ever since. The Sublime Theater proudly brings this unbeatable pairing to Asheville audiences Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30 PM, March 7-23, at The BeBe Theater (20 Commerce Street).
"Krapp's Last Tape," by Nobel Prize-winner Beckett, a tour-de-force for a solo performer (The Sublime's Producing Artistic Director Steven Samuels), is the surprisingly tender, frequently comical story of an old man looking back on his life and loves by listening to one of the audio diaries he's made for decades, on each of his birthdays, while preparing to record the latest entry. Back in the day, The New York Post called it "a comment on time past, passing, and to come; on the tinny mechanization of the age and the yet unquenchable wellsprings of the heart." If you're only familiar with Beckett's work as an Absurdist, you may well be startled and moved by this heartfelt, beautiful play.
"The Zoo Story," which launched three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning Albee's striking, important career, was described by The New York Times as "a gut punch with a closed fist." The Associated Press said, "The dialogue crackles and the tension runs high," and Time Out NY has called it "Darkly comic and thrilling!" The seemingly simple encounter in New York's Central Park between a settled, middle-class man (Art Moore) and a younger man (Scott Fisher) whose grittier life is spinning out of control, "The Zoo Story" is relentlessly unpredictable and features one of the strangest, most-celebrated monologues in the history of the stage. (Hint: it's all about a dog.)
The evening's director is Sublime Artistic Associate Henry Williamson III, whose breathtaking local productions of "Death of a Salesman," "Stupid F*cking Bird," and "Sense and Sensibility" were huge hits in recent years. According to Williamson, "'The Zoo Story' is mesmerizing in its explosive examination of extreme alienation. Its impact is both harrowing and astonishing. 'Krapp's Last Tape" mesmerizes, too, with its keen grip on the dichotomy of time and memory, the interplay of light and dark, of past aspirations and present failures; the absurdity of who you have been versus who you are now. With these two plays' perfect mix of shock and awe, audiences are in for an unforgettable night of theater!"
Williamson goes on to say of the star of "The Zoo Story," Scott Fisher (familiar to local audiences for his comic turns in such works as "All in the Timing," "Off the Rails," and the "How To" series of sketch comedies), "Scott has the ability to transform himself, to commit fully to a character down to every last subtle nuance. It was these qualities of his that assured me he was the right actor to take on Jerry, one of the most challenging characters in the whole American canon." Referring to Samuels, who you may recognize from his work in "Tartuffe," "Death of a Salesman," "Stupid F*cking Bird," "The Merchant of Venice," and several of his own plays, Williamson continues, "Working with Steven on Willy Loman in'Death of a Salesman' was one of the seminal collaborations I've experienced in my craft. 'Krapp's Last Tape' is certainly an evolution of that work. Steven is willing to grapple with these great texts, to find the truthfulness of the characters, to make himself vulnerable. That takes real courage."
Tickets to this unforgettable theatrical experience cost $15 and are available at the box office an hour before each performance or online at www.thesublimetheater.org. Due to limited seating, advance purchase is recommended.
The Sublime Theater presents Samuel Beckett's "Krapp's Last Tape" and Edward Albee's "The Zoo Story." Starring Steven Samuels and Scott Fisher, and Art Moore. Directed by Henry Williamson III. Assistant directed by Art Moore. 2nd assistant directed and stage managed by Rachel McCrain. Costume design by Kayren McKnight. Lighting design by Abby Auman. Only 9 performances, Thursdays-Saturdays, March 7-23, 7:30 PM, at The BeBe Theater, 20 Commerce Street, in downtown Asheville.
Now in its first year, The Sublime Theater is a not-for-profit production company dedicated to new, established, and neglected works. Its inaugural production, the world premiere of Associate Artistic Director John Crutchfield's "TRNZ," had a successful run in November 2018. Upcoming productions include "Rules and How To Break Them," the fifth sketch comedy show from Asheville's How-To Crew, which debuts this June, and the next world premiere by The Cardboard Sea, Artistic Associate Todd Weakley's company, which plays in August.
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LocationThe BeBe Theater (View)
20 Commerce Street
Asheville, NC 28801
United States
Categories
| Minimum Age: 16 |
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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