The Witch of Edmonton
Opening Night: February 3, 2011
Closing: February 20, 2011
Theater: Theatre at St. Clement's
Red Bull Theater presents the first major Off Broadway production of this fantastical tragicomedy, featuring a witch, a fool, a young man, his two wives, an angry mob, and one very devilish dog. In a new adaptation of the original Jacobean play by Thomas Dekker, John Ford and William Rowley, this rarely-performed classic rips open the dark underbelly of a small town. As the lives of its inhabitants intersect in strange and spellbinding ways, the power of a community for both good and for evil is revealed. Red Bull Theater’s upcoming production offers New York theater-goers an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience this fascinating and disturbingly timely tale.
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February 4, 2011
That dog is the very Devil. No, seriously. That shaggy black mongrel is Satan incarnate, and he wants to buy your soul. Kind of cute, though, isn’t he, the way he perks up at the least sign of affection? You don’t know whether to scratch his belly or make the sign of the cross.
READ THE REVIEWFebruary 3, 2011
If you’re wondering what kind of person would carry around his bloodied murder weapon in his coat pocket or where the writers of Owen Wilson’s recent movie, Marmaduke, probably got their idea for a talking dog or how a stage play which was written separately by three (or probably more) playwrights looks like, wonder no more. Run or better yet, grab your broomstick and head to the Theatre at St. Clement’s on 46th Street for some equally bewildering answers to these bewildering questions.
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February 4, 2011
The city’s boldest classical troupe, Red Bull Theater favors theatrical meat that is not just rare but bloody. The Witch of Edmonton qualifies on both counts: A 1625 muddle of melodrama, comedy, social critique and morality play, it has never been produced Off Broadway, and four of its characters die violently. Company chief Jesse Berger stages these people’s bad ends with brio, but their mediocre starts and middles moot his commendable efforts.
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February 4, 2011
Take a play mixing lust, revenge, talking devil-dogs and witches, written as a collaboration between Jacobean drama masters John Ford, William Crowley and Thomas Dekker, and put the indefatigable Red Bull Theater with its leader Jesse Berger on the case, and it’s hard to see how the result could miss. Last year’s The Duchess of Malfi by RBT was exceptional, and when given the opportunity Berger rarely disappoints . . .and often doesn’t here.
READ THE REVIEWFebruary 3, 2011
Theatergoers with an affinity for Jacobean tragedy are in for a treat at Red Bull Theater’s remarkable production of a real rarity: "The Witch of Edmonton," written in 1621 by Thomas Dekker, John Ford, William Rowley, and possibly others. Under Jesse Berger’s muscular direction, this two-hour-and-40-minute production flies by while telling a juicy tale of witchcraft, sex, and murder that’s based on a true story. The uniformly excellent 15-person cast, which includes such names as Charlayne Woodard, André De Shields, and Everett Quinton, disproves the tired adage that the Brits do this kind of thing better.
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