DANBURY, CT – Western Connecticut State University’s Department of Theatre Arts announced the live show “Marat/Sade” opening on Friday, April 21, and running through Sunday, April 30, at the university’s Visual and Performing Arts Center (VPAC), 43 Lake Ave. Extension, Danbury. Tickets are now available at wcsuvpac.eventbrite.com.
“Marat/Sade” (MARAT/SADE: The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as performed by the inmates of the Asylum of Charenton under the direction of the Marquis de Sade) will be presented in the VPAC’s MainStage Theatre. A “bawdy and outrageous play where madness and reason seem inseparable,” this Tony Award winner for Best Play (1966) depicts “the violence of modern society while asking whether true revolution comes from changing society or changing oneself.” Showtimes are Friday, April 21, at 8 p.m.; Saturday, April 22, at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sunday, April 23, at 2 p.m.; Friday, April 28, at 8 p.m.; Saturday, April 29, at 2 and 8 p.m.; and Sunday, April 30, at 2 p.m. This production is appropriate for people aged 16 and over.
“Marat/Sade caused a sensation in that it pushed the boundaries of theatre by challenging and confronting the audience on a variety of political and social issues that were relevant then and are relevant today,” said Sal Trapani, director and WCSU professor of Theatre Arts. “It is very Brechtian in that it really is didactic, epic and incorporates theatre for social change. It is also Artaudian (Theatre of Cruelty) in that it tries in some ways to shock the audience into waking up and see the problems of society and the individual’s role within that society.”
Ticket prices for the show are $10 for WCSU students, $20 for other students with ID, $20 for senior citizens and group ticket sales, and $30 for general admission at wcsuvpac.eventbrite.com.
WCSU’s Department of Theatre Arts is part of the School of Visual and Performing Arts, along with Music and Art. Located in the Visual and Performing Arts Center on the university’s Westside campus, the National Association of Schools of Theatre-accredited department provides a strong professional training approach to the study of the art and craft of theatre. Students who pursue a B.F.A. in Theatre Arts prepare for a myriad of professional careers as they relate to the student’s personal interests in Acting, Design/Technology or Stage Management, while students pursuing a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre prepare for professional performance. For students interested in a broader/liberal arts theatre education, the B.A. in Theatre Arts program offers a more expansive, less specialized approach. WCSU productions include both musicals and traditional plays, and range in style and genre from classic to contemporary.
