Unconventional Theatre

UNCONVENTIONAL THEATRE

The Threepenny Opera (Bertolt Brecht and composer Kurt Weill)

Theatre Workshop toured to sell-out audiences in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh with Brecht's The Threepenny Opera Celebrating European year of disabled people this showcase event was cast for the first time using professional disabled actors. At Glasgow's Tramway 17-19 June, Aberdeen's Cowdray Hall 26th June @2pm &7.45pm and at Edinburgh's Festival Theatre 1-3 July.

A show that works on every level, from the vehement and glittering intensity of the performances, to the ferocious intimacy of its relationship with the screech and rasp of Weill's magnificent music. -Joyce McMillan The Scotsman.

This performance of this play in unconventional in the fact that it used disabled actors in roles that they normally would not be cast in. This pushes the boundaries of what people define theatre as and opens the door for so many more people to pursue their dreams in the field. I think it's interesting that this production had such great success.

The Secret Garden (Marsha Norman and Lucy Simon)

The Phoenix Theatre for Children and Opera Columbus, Nov. 15-18 2007

Collaboration between the CAPA, The Phoenix Theatre for Children, and Opera Columbus

"With the use of sign language and as a children's play, this collaboration provides educational opportunities for all the groups to reach new audiences."

The play featured actors with deaf and hearing actors performing and singing simultaneously in English and sign language. I can only imagine how much work must have been out into this production. It is hard enough performing a play simply as it is written. This production united 2 different crowds of theater goers creating one new kind of experience.

Isabella (William Shakespeare)

Pig Iron Theatre Company , Philadelphia PA.

It was a hit at the 2007 Philadelphia Live Arts Festival. It was directed by Dan Rothenberg and designed by Anna Kiraly.

A radical re-cutting of Shakespeare’s “problem play” Measure for MeDesigned by Anna Kiraly asure, set in a modern-day morgue and re-imagined as a startling work of human puppetry.

This play was performed in a higly physical and unusual way. They warped the speaking of the text, and it was performed with the cast being mainly nude. Another strange aspect was that the actor's played dead people.

Salome (Oscar Wilde)

Premiered at the Gate Theatre in Dublin in 1988. It was later revived with a new cast for the National Theatre in London, and after these performances it transferred to the West End.

Berkoff in his most famous acting and directing role. The play is performed in slow-motion, characters gliding slowly across the stage and savouring each word.

The play was slowed down to specifically emphasize language. It is obviously unusual igevn the fact that plays are usually performed in normal speed. I think that doing this with a play makes an audience think more and have to really pay attention to every little aspect of the performance.