Joseph Samuel Wright, playwright, and David Carl, composer, of “Rise”

Rise_logoWe all know the maxim: “power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

It’s the dangers of unchecked power & blind ambition that unites the two narratives of Roots & Wings Theatrical‘s new play Rise.

In one thread: an operatic telling of the story of Elagabalus, the boy emperor of Rome who overturned gods, prostituted himself in the temple, and demanded a sex change operation—following the ego-maniac emperor, his naive formerly-chaste Vestal Virgin lover, his scheming grandmother, and his ambitious mother willfully ignoring her son’s flagrant (and dangerous) disregard for prudence.

In the other: a modern drama of an ego-maniac porn star, his naive young lover, his scheming agent, and the ambitious young lady blind to whom she hurts on her rise to the top.

…starting to see where this is going?

If you’re curious to see (and hear) more, listen in to this episode of the podcast with Rise playwright Joseph Samuel Wright and composer David Carl as they discuss empire-level intrigue, big voices in small spaces, and rising vs. rising above.

Roots & Wings Theatrical presents

Rise

by Joseph Samuel Wright
music by David Carl
directed by Samantha Shechtman

Theatre 54
Shetler Studios
244 W. 54th Street
New York, NY

Thur–Sat at 8pm
Sun at 3pm
*added performance on Mon, April 15 at 8pm
thru April 20, 2013

tickets available via SmartTix

"Rise," by Joseph Samuel Wright, photo by Allison Stock "Rise," by Joseph Samuel Wright, photo by Allison Stock "Rise," by Joseph Samuel Wright, photo by Allison Stock "Rise," by Joseph Samuel Wright, photo by Allison Stock "Rise," by Joseph Samuel Wright, photo by Allison Stock

photos by Allison Stock

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