Project # 2: Outside the Box

Behzti--Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti

2004--Birmingham Rep. Theatre--Birmingham, UK

http://arts.guardian.co.uk/behzti?INTCMP=SRCH

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2004/dec/20/arts.religion

Behzti is a largely controversial play, that has caused violent outrage by the members of the Sihk community. The level of violence escalated i at an alarming rate, beginning with a forced cancellation of the show, follwed by thousands of pounds worth of damage to the theatre fascility itself. The playwright was eventually forced into hiding after recieving death threats. Behzti (meaning Dishonor in Punjab) takes place entirely in a Gurdwara (Sihk temple), and depicts a graphic scene of rape. The play is a black comedy that explores sacrifices of Sihk priciples for worldly gains, and has raised a great debate over freedom of speech, censorship, and religious sensitivity.

The Tempest--William Shakespeare

2009--The Independent Eye/Sonoma County Reportory Theatre--Sebastopol, CA

http://www.independenteye.org/plays/tempest.html

This rendition of Shakespeare's classic remains true to the text, however is only performed with 5 live actors. The rest of the production utilized masks, puppetry, shadow puppetry, specialized lighting effects, and video projections to tell the story in an imaginative new way. This staging has been described as "weird, but beautiful" by audiences, and inludes a completely original musical score that accompanies the staging. Considering the combination of so many theatrical elements, the show was handled in an intelligent manner, rather than just being a cluster of non sensical theatre. For a 10 minute preview of this most unique show, please visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSlcZ1Lx0wo&feature=player_embedded

http://www.neofuturists.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=103&Itemid=100010

Laika Dog in Space--Bob Neill, Jill Beckman

2011--The Neo-Futurists--Chicago, IL

The Neo-Futurists of Chicago and New York present this politically driven play, visually inspired by the children's book "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. The story follows the tale of Laika, the real life dog whom was the first mammal in space during the 1950's Russian Space Programme. The play contains puppetry, art installations, live music, and dance as part of its performance base. Also, included is a small serving of Borscht, a traditional Russo-Ukranian soup made primarily of beets. For a teaser "trailer" visist http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMnXHsKQbpQ&feature=player_embedded

"Requiem For a Friend"--Rainer Maria Rilke

2005--Paratheatre--Berkeley, CA

Requiem For a Friend has been translated from Rainer's original text and re-imagined into a sensory human experience. In what the director calls "a metamorphosis" the actors engaged in a process of meditation and re-discovery each night of rehearsal over the course of eight weeks. What resulted was the creation of "a new self portrait" every performance. This staging utilizes un-choreographed, interpretive dance, and improvized electric cello solos that accompany the underscore. The feel of the play as a whole feels like that of a personal, very humanistic ritual.

http://www.paratheatrical.com/requiem.html