Birds chirping. Children playing. Sun. Grass. Epic theatre?
Yep.
In case you’ve never listened to the podcast (or met me), I love Brecht’s work. And I love performances that are out in the open, and free to the public.
In my humble opinion, today’s guest, director Aimee Todoroff, is right—Brecht is indeed perfect for being done outside. Free & open to the public.
…and no purchased seats posing as “subscriber tickets,” taking seats away from the actual “public” (yes, I’m looking at you, oh-other-producer-of-plays-in-Central-Park).
For their first ever Brecht in the Park performance, Elephant Run District presents three of the master’s short plays—The Elephant Calf, In Search of Justice, and The Exception and the Rule—all of which have very strong connections to our current state of affairs.
Listen in as Aimee talks about her inspiration—text-wise & space-wise—for bringing Brecht to Central Park, what’s next for Elephant Run District, and how these plays written in Weimar-era Germany are eerily resonant with New York, NY, USA in 2013.
“How can we put the audience’s experience first, and make them have an experience that they’re going to talk about for the rest of the day?”
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Elephant Run District presents
Brecht in the Park
written by Bertolt Brecht
translated by Eric Bentley
directed by Aimee Todoroff
Saturdays & Sundays, July 6–28
4pm
near the southeast corner of the Great Hill in Central Park, Manhattan
Tickets: none. Free & open to the public. Donations welcomed.
photos by Chris Harcum