Avant Bard | theatre on the edge
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Billy and George, by Ken Jones and Daryl L. Harris and directed by Producing Partner DeMone Seraphin is a world premiere on the Avant Bard stage. Billy and George recounts the events of December 25, 1776, just hours before General George Washington and the Continental Army cross the Delaware River to defeat the Hessian soldiers at Trenton, New Jersey. The turning point of the American Revolutionary War, George Washington and his closest companion and enslaved person, William "Billy" Lee, prepare for the crossing while discussing, arguing, and challenging the concepts of Freedom, War, and Ultimate Love.
Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare, is one of the stage's most recognized and universally loved productions. Returning from an untimely cancellation in spring 2020 (Season 30), this interpretation of Julius Caesar, directed by Kathleen Akerley, modernizes the story's politics without targeting Caesar, but by removing Caesar entirely from the stage. The characters in this version of Julius Caesar, much like the citizens of America, are grappling with themselves as much or more than they're grappling with any particular leader. This production will use mixed media, including film and audio elements, to create a visual masterpiece.
In this wild comedy, the Greek god Dionysus takes form as Diane, a lesbian permaculture gardener from Vermont. She’s got supernatural abilities owing to her true identity, and her secret mission is to seduce mortal followers and restore the earth to its natural state. Where better to begin than with four housewives in a suburban New Jersey cul-de-sac? Pulitzer Prize finalist Madeleine George pens a hilarious evisceration of the blind eye we all turn to climate change and the bacchanalian catharsis that awaits us, even in our own backyards.
The New York Times cheered Hurricane Diane as an “astonishing new play,” and New York magazine hailed it as “hilarious and full of keen observation and profound human affection.” Director Stevie Zimmerman (Spooky Action “Maple and Vine”, 1st Stage “Pitman Painters”, “By Jeeves”) makes her Avant Bard debut with this production.
"Hurricane Diane" is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com.