Community
By Bradford Gottschalk
Directed by John Gustafson
The world premiere of local playwright Bradford Gottschalk's dark comedy. The play follows the adventures of Miriam Oros in her search for a community that will give her a sense of belonging without asking her to sacrifice her individuality. Along the way, she locks horns with a drunken poet, the editors of a left-wing private newspaper, a philosophical bigot, a confused and lonely young girl, and a group of neo-pagans, all of whom attempt to align their lives to their own definitions of the community and the individual.
Presented by First Banana Productions at Brave Hearts Theatre temporary location at the Grieg Club at 1249 Williamson St.
Performances August 6-21, 1999.
Thur Fri Sat August 6
8:00 pmAugust 7
8:00 pmAugust 12
8:00 pmAugust 13
8:00 pmAugust 14
8:00 pmAugust 19
8:00 pmAugust 20
8:00 pmAugust 21
8:00 pmTickets $9. Call 249-9299 for reservations.
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The Author
Brad Gottschalk is a local playwright, novelist and artistic associate of First Banana Productions. His prolific work includes Venus in Chains, Machines Don't Lie and Solomon's Head.
The Director
This is the third premiere for director John Gustafson, who directed the U.S. premiere of South African playwright Ian Fraser's "Blitzbreeker and the Chicken from Hell" in the spring of 1998 and one of the three one-act plays from First Banana's playwriting contest, "Venus in Chains" in the spring of this year.
Gustafson is a local director, actor and writer who previously directed and/or produced such works as Venus in Chains, Arcadia, Blitzbreeker and the Chicken from Hell and The History of the Devil.
The Company
First Banana Productions has been hailed as "one of Madison's most exciting theater companies" and since its inception in 1994 has lived up to its commitment to bring challenging drama to the Madison stage.
First Banana has been a regular feature at Brave Hearts Theatre, and "Community" is its fifth Madison premiere this season. Last fall, the company brought acclaimed productions of Amsterdam-based playwright Tom Minter's "Hostage" and "Strawberry Dwarfs" and Clive Barker's "History of the Devil" to the intimate space. This spring, First Banana produced a festival of short plays by local playwrights, "Venus in Chains", and, most recently, the show that closed the Atwood Avenue home of Brave Hearts Theatre, Anthony Clarvoe's "The Living", which championed hope in the face of disaster, an attitude that all of the performers at B.H. must now adopt.