Oct. 8, 2009 : The Donkey Show at the A.R.T.

>> ALL RIGHT WHEN WE
CONTINUE, THE DONKEY SHOW.

>> FROM ITS SIX-YEAR RUN IN
NEW YORK CITY TO A WORLD
TOUR IN LONDON AND SEOUL THE
HIT THE CONDIE SHOW COMES TO
BOSTON'S AMERICAN REPER TORY
THEATRE.
JARED BOWEN AND ART ARTISTIC
DIRECTOR TAKE NICE A DISCO
WORLD OF A TRANSFORMED
MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM.

>> UNFASTEN THE CORSET,
DISBAND THE PRETENSE, THE
GLITTERY, SWEATY, SWIRLING
CONDIE SHOW IS SHAKESPEARE
BUT AS INTERPRETED BY ART
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR DIANNE.

>> I THINK STUDIO 54.
1977, 79, STUDIO 54, A WORLD
OF ABANDON AND FANTASY.
OF FREEDOM.
AND THAT WAS THE MATCH.
THAT READING OF MIDSUMMER
NIGHT'S DREAM THROUGH DISCO.

>> HERE MIDSUMMER'S
ENCHANTED FOREST BECOMES A
DISCO OF LIBERATION.
A HAVEN FOR MORTAL LOVERS
JUST AS IN THE PLAY.
Mr. OBJECTERON IS THE CLUB
HONER AND TATANI HIS DISCO
QUEEN, THE FAIREYS ARE HERE
AS GO-GO BOYS.
IT IS THE '70s AFTER ALL.
A TIME OF POLYESTER AND
POPPERS.

>> THERE A LEVEL OF REALLY
INTENSE WAR OF PASSION AND
LOVE AND REVENGE.
AND THERE IS ABOUT 1970s
DISCO, NEW YORK, 1977 WAS A
GRITTY PLACE.
YOU KNOW THAT KIND OF WORLD
OF ASPIRATION, GOT TO
HUSTLE.
LITERAL HUSBAND TOLD GET IN
THE CUB AND MAKE IT.

>> THE DONKEY SHOW HAPPENS
NOT BEFORE YOU BUT AROUND
YOU.
BEGINNING OUTSIDE BEFORE
PATRONS EVEN ENTER CLUB
OBERON.
INSIDE SU A THROBBING,
THEATRE WITH A PACK FAR AND
FEW SEATS.

>> THE AUDIENCE IS WITH
THEM.
AS WE ARE RIGHT NOW, RIGHT
UP.

>> BUT YOU HATE THE WORD
INTERACTIVE.

>> I DON'T LIKE THE WORD --
BECAUSE TO ME INTERACTIVE
MEANS FORCING PEOPLE TO DO
SOMETHING.
TO ME THE AUDIENCE AT THE
DONKEY SHOW IS ABOUT
FREEDOM.
IF YOU WANT TO STAND ON THE
SIDE AND JUST WATCH VERY
QUIETLY YOU CAN DO THAT.
YOU WANT TO BE IN THE CENTER
OF THE ACTION, GLITTER ON
YOUR BODY JUMPING AROUND.
YOU CAN DO THAT.

>> BUT THE DISCO -- TO DISCO,
NOT SHAKESPEARE, DONKEY
SHOW'S LANGUAGE IS A PLAY
LIST OF DISCO ANTHEMS.

>> I HAD NEVER HEARD THOSE
SONGS, THE LYRICS AND THE
SENSE BEHIND THEM UNTIL I
SAW THEM IN THE CONTEXT OF
THIS SHOW.

>> I LOVE THAT YOU SAY THAT.
THAT IS EXACTLY THE POINT.
YOU KNOW, WE LIVE WITH THESE
SONGS, THEY ARE PART OF OUR
COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUS, YOU
KNOW.
WE HAVE THEM IN OUR STORED
MEMORY.
AND YET AT THE DONKEY SHOW
YOU COME AND YOU SEE THEM
FRAMED VERY CAREFULLY
INSTEAD OF AND THAT MAKES
YOU HEAR THE LYRICS IN A NEW
WAY AND REALLY SAY WOW.

>> IN A MOMENT OF RELATIVE
QUIET BEFORE THE SHOW,
HOLLIS GAVE US A QUICK
BACKSTAGE TOUR.

>> AT STUDIO 54 THIS WAS
REALLY A TRADITION, LIKE
PEOPLE CAME COMPLETELY
DRESSED, IN TOTAL GOLD PAINT
OR SILVER PAINT.
SO --

>> WE ARE GOING TO ASK YOU,
HOW DID AWE RIFE, AND HOWAS
THREATICALLY PEOPLE SHOULD
LOOK.

>> TOTAL RESEARCH FROM THE
PERIOD IT WAS THEATRE,
SPONTANEOUS PERFORMANCE,
BIANCA JAGGER COMING IN ON
THE WHITEHORSE, PEOPLE BEING
LOWERED FROM SWINGS.

>> DOWN THE HALL THE GLITTER
ROOM.

>> YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO PUT
ON LIKE TWO OR THREE LAYERS
SO THAT IT REALLY SHOWED UP.

>> HOW DO YOU FEEL BEING
OBJECT PHIED HERE AT THE
DONE -- DONE KEY SHOW.

>> HE LOVES IT.

>> I DON'T SEE IT AS BEING
OBJECT I FEWED.
BECAUSE THE THING IS THAT
YOU ARE INVITING PEOPLE INTO
THIS FANTASTICAL WORLD AND
ARE YOU TAKING THEM ON THE
JOURNEY THAT THEY HAVE NEVER
BEEN THROUGH IN THEATRE
BEFORE.

>> THE PERFORMANCE AND THE
SHOW IS SO EXTRAORDINARY
BECAUSE THEY ARE SO
COMFORTABLE WITH THEIR BODY,
WITH THEIR PHYSICALITY AND
IT JUST SAYS TO AN AUDIENCE
T IS OKAY.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN BE WHOEVER
YOU ARE.

>> OR FOR THE NIGHT, IN THE
DARK, WHOEVER YOU WANT TO BE.

>> AND JARED BOWEN IS HERE.
SO EXPLAIN THIS.
I BUY A TICKET TO THIS SHOW,
DO I HAVE TO DECIDE OVER THE
PHONE WHETHER I AM GOING TO
BE A DANCER OR SIT ON THE
SIDE OR IS IT ONCE YOU GET
THERE YOU MOVE AROUND.

>> YOU HAVE YOUR OPPORTUNITY
OF EITHER SITTING AT A TABLE
OR BEING DOWN IN THE DANCE
FLOOR.
AND I SUGGEST BEING DOWN ON
THE GAS STORE, WHEN I WENT
TORE PRESS NIGHT I WAS AT
THE TABLE.
IT NOT AS MUCH FUN.
YOU WANT TO BE IN THE PIT
WATCHING THIS STORY UNFOLD
IT IS HARD TO COMMUNICATE
THROUGH OUR VIDEO HOW THIS
STORY UNFOLDS BUT THERE IS
AN ACTUAL STORY IS THERE.
THE GREAT PART IS YOU ARE
PART OF THIS CLUB AND YOU
SEE THESE THINGS HAPPENING
AROUND YOU AND IT IS
HAPPENING ALL AROUND.
THEY DIRECT YOU WITH LIGHTS
AND THERE IS ACTION
EVERYWHERE, THERE IS A STORY
THAT EVOLVES.
IT IS JUST LIKE BEING IN A
REAL CLUB OR SITUATION, I
WAS AT A MOVIE THEATRE WHEN
THIS RAVING WOMAN CAME OUT.
AND YELLING AT PEOPLE.
I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT IS WHAT
IS HAPPENING THAT IS WHAT
THE DONKEY SHOW IS, IT FEELS
LIKE IT IS HAPPENING RIGHT
HERE.

>> THAT WASN'T REAL LAST
NIGHT BUT THIS IS.

>> IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF
MODERN THEATRE DOES SOME
KIND OF AN ADAPTATION OF
SHAKESPEARE, DOES THIS WORK,
I MEAN AND WHY.
WHY ADAPT SHAKESPEARE WHEN
IT SOUNDS LIKE SHE'S GOT
SOMETHING GOING THROUGH THE
MUSIC AS YOU HAVE DESCRIBED.

>> BECAUSE I THINK IT'S
INTRODUCING YOUNGER PEOPLE
TO THEATRE IN A DIFFERENT
CONCEPT.
I THINK IT PAYS TO DO YOUR
HOMEWORK AND BRUSH UP ON
MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
BECAUSE YOU WILL HAVE A
DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDING AND
A MUCH DEEPER AND MORE
INTELLECTUAL UNDERSTANDING I
THINK.
IT STARTS ON ITS OWN BUT I
THINK IT WORKS WELL TO
ATTACH IT TO SHAKESPEARE.
AND TO SEE THAT THAT STORY
DOES TRANSLATE INTO
DIFFERENT GENERATIONS,
DIFFERENT TIMES.

>> ALL RIGHT, HOW LONG IS IT
HERE.

>> THEY JUST EXTENDED IT
THROUGH THE BEGINNING OF
JANUARY.

>> IT HAS DONE REALLY WELL
SO FAR.

>> VERY WELL.
IT IS SELLING OUT.

>> WE HAVE SEEN SOME PEOPLE
WE KNOW THERE.
WE ARE NOT GOING TO NAME ANY
NAMES.

>> I'M NOT ALLOWED TO.

>> JARRETT BOWEN AND THAT'S
IT FOR GREATER BOSTON.
TOMORROW ON BEAT THE PRESS
THE GLOBE -- THE MISSING
E-MAILS, DO WE KNOW
SOMETHING WE DON'T.
PLUS A PUSH FOR MORE
MILITARY IN AFGHANISTAN
THROUGH THE MEDIA.
THAT AND MORE AT 7:00.
I'M EMILY ROONEY.
GOOD NIGHT.
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