Despite missing live theater, I will admit that I have found solace in various virtual presentations and readings around the internet. And somewhere, somehow the Red Bull Theater came into my life…I am not 100% sure where…but probably on Facebook as I was transitioning from political writing to arts writing. And I have already enjoyed a couple of their offerings…really enjoyed them…and I guess I should have written about them but I haven’t. But I want you to have the same opportunity to experience their excellent theater making too!
Red Bull Theater describes themselves as such:
Off-Broadway theater company specializing in plays of heightened language, with a unique focus on the Jacobean plays of Shakespeare and his contemporaries.
RED BULL THEATER is named for the rowdy Jacobean playhouse that illegally performed plays in England during the years of Puritan rule, and was the first London theater to reopen after the Restoration. This bold spirit is central to our identity. With the Jacobean plays of Shakespeare and his contemporaries as our cornerstone, Red Bull Theater is New York City’s destination for dynamic performances of great plays that stand the test of time. The company also produces new works that are in conversation with the classics.
Their virtual presentations have been free and pay what you can. So take the opportunity to experience a company you might not be familiar with…you will enjoy them…and then drop a few dollars in the hat when you see it being passed around! And so far, their productions have lived streamed at a particular day and time and then remain available for a few more days as on demand streaming events!!! So you aren’t locked in and can watch to suit your schedule.
And now, here’s a good place to start. This Monday evening, January 25th, Red Bull Theater will be performing The Woman Hater by Frances Burney.
Directed by Everett Quinton and featuring Bill Army, Arnie Burton, Veanne Cox, Rebecca S’Manga Frank, Cherie Corinne Rice, Matthew Saldivar, Jenne Vath, Nick Westrate.
Frances Burney’s rarely seen 18th century proto-feminist satire is a hilarious story of broken engagements, excessive romanticism – and one massively misguided misogynist.
Sir Roderick has turned frantic misogynist for two reasons: he was jilted 17 years previously and his sister had the gall to marry his ex-fiancee’s brother. Burney’s outrageously witty comedy of manners bursts into life with the introduction of the former fiancee, Lady Smatter, who has turned into a voracious and addle-brained bookworm.
With its unforgettable characters and delicious absurdity, The Woman Hater is a lost comic treat.
Want more information? Just follow this link…then order your ticket!
And next week, let me know what you think!