CUTTING BALL THEATER NEWSLETTER
January 27, 2010 Volume 6, Issue 15
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Medea vs. Medea

Medea

The Cutting Ball Theater
in residence at EXIT on Taylor,
277 Taylor Street, SF
FREE dramatic readings, reception in between
no reservations needed
Sunday, January 31, 2010, 1:00 pm

Medea marathon anyone? The grudge match is on! Two great masters: the Roman, Seneca, and the Greek, Euripides, each interpreted the ancient tragedy of Medea differently. Euripides' play is the original story of the infamous sorceress Medea, who exacts the ultimate revenge on her cheating husband. Seneca's version, while rarely performed, became Shakespeare's inspiration for his Lady Macbeth and is, arguably, more modern in its themes than its Greek counterpart. Find out which Medea will triumph!

Featuring Paige Rogers as Medea and Garth Petal as Jason, Cutting Ball will present readings of both plays with identical casts. A discussion with the directors, dramaturg, and cast will follow, with a vote from the audience for the “best” version. You’ll walk away familiar with two classics and still be home in time for dinner!

The Cutting Ball Theater will present free dramatic readings of both plays with identical casts. A discussion with the directors, dramaturg and cast will follow. Join us for delicious hors d'oeuvres from La Méditerranée and stellar wine from Stubbs Vineyard and Krutz Family Cellars in between performances.

We love both of these plays and both are up for consideration for our 2010 - 2011 Season. Vote for your favorite and help us to decide Medea's fate!

Amy Tasker, General Manager for Cutting Ball and Atmos Theater Associate Artist, will direct Euripides' Medea. Seneca's Medea will be directed by Artistic Director and Cutting Ball Founder Rob Melrose. Cast includes Associate Artistic Director and Cutting Ball Co-Founder Paige Rogers (most recently seen in Bald Soprano, Bone to Pick) as Medea and Garth Petal (most recently seen in The Creature and Mud) as Jason as well as Paul Gerrior (Krapp's Last Tape) as Aegeus, Lynne Soffer as The Nurse, Bennett Fischer as Creon, James Kerstead as the messenger, George Hester-Matan and Patrick Kelley as Medea's children and Mary Anne Cook, Mayra Gaeta, and Lindsay Cookson as the Chorus.

For more information, contact Megan Cohen, megan@cuttingball.com or call 415-577-5609

"The Cutting Ball ensemble functions like a well-oiled machine...Within Melrose's tight orchestration, each actor finds whole volumes of delicious nuances."
                                                Jean Schiffman - San Francisco Examiner. Review of The Bald Soprano.


Paige Rogers and Garth Petal in Cutting Ball's 2005 production of Macbeth

…and Jesus Moonwalks the Mississippi

Jesus Moonwalks

A New Play by Marcus Gardley
Directed by Amy Mueller
A co-production with Playwrights Foundation
March 12 – April 11, 2010
Opening Night: March 19 at 8pm

Click Here for Tickets!

"Jesus Moonwalks is in a lot of ways my signature play. It is based upon a story my great-grandmother used to tell about her father who fled the bonds of slavery and traveled the country in search of his family."
-Marcus Gardley, playwright

Set on the banks of the Mississippi during the final days of the Civil War, …and Jesus Moonwalks the Mississippi is a poetic journey of forgiveness and redemption in- spired by the myth of Demeter and Perse phone.This thought-provoking play combines traditional storytelling, gospel music, and a wicked sense of humor to create a rich, imaginative world that allows trees to preach, rivers to waltz, and Jesus to moonwalk.

The Cutting Ball Theater's production of ...and Jesus Moonwalks the Mississippi is made possible in part by the Creative Work Fund, the San Francisco Arts Commission, and the Zellerbach Family Foundation.