CALARTS BOLDLY TACKLES YEATS DRAMA.Byline: Laurence Darmiento Daily News Staff Writer Theatergoers accustomed to accessible fare like ``Cats,'' ``Sunset Boulevard'' and ``A Chorus Line'' may find it daunting daunt tr.v. daunt·ed, daunt·ing, daunts To abate the courage of; discourage. See Synonyms at dismay. [Middle English daunten, from Old French danter, from Latin to take on a Shakespearean drama or classical Greek tragedy. Now take that one step further. Try a centuries-old story ensconced en·sconce tr.v. en·sconced, en·sconc·ing, en·sconc·es 1. To settle (oneself) securely or comfortably: She ensconced herself in an armchair. 2. deep in Celtic legend that has been retold re·told v. Past tense and past participle of retell. by poet W.B. Yeats in a lyrical style guaranteed to keep your ears pricked. To little surprise, Yeats' ``Deirdre,'' like his other dramatic works steeped in mythology, has seen few productions over the years - but that has not given pause to the folks at the California Institute of the Arts California Institute of the Arts known as CalArts U.S. private institution of higher learning in Valencia. Created in 1961 through the merger of two other art institutes, it was the first in the U.S. . They are staging the drama, considered the greatest love story of Irish legend, as the inaugural production of Muse.CalArts, the faculty's newly formed interdisciplinary production company, whose name is a nod to the digital age. Faculty from the school's theater, arts, music and dance departments have collaborated to bring to life the story of beautiful Deirdre, who runs away with her lover Naoise, in defiance of King Conchubar. The production is the brainchild of director Irene Connors, an associate dean in the School of Theater, who has directed nine Yeats dramas and founded the Yeats Theater Ensemble while teaching at the University of Michigan (body, education) University of Michigan - A large cosmopolitan university in the Midwest USA. Over 50000 students are enrolled at the University of Michigan's three campuses. The students come from 50 states and over 100 foreign countries. in the 1970s. ``One day I just read one of Yeats' plays by chance. People haven't done his plays much, even though he wrote 26,'' Connors said. ``If you just read them, they can be off-putting, but I was struck by its power. I wondered, Why doesn't anyone do Yeats?'' That artistic epiphany Epiphany (ĭpĭf`ənē) [Gr.,=showing], a prime Christian feast, celebrated Jan. 6, called also Twelfth Day or Little Christmas. Its eve is Twelfth Night. sent Connors down an unusual dramatic path. Last year at CalArts she directed Yeats' ``The Herne's Egg,'' but it was not the interdisciplinary production that is ``Deirdre.'' Sets for this production, including imposing, 7-foot-tall statues of soldiers representing the king's power, were designed by Thomas Lawson Thomas Lawson may refer to:
An original score, played by an ensemble of flute, Irish harp, percussion and toy piano The toy piano is a musical instrument, made as a child's toy, but which has also been used in more serious musical contexts. The instrument was invented in Philadelphia in 1872 by a German immigrant named Albert Schoenhut. , was composed by Michael Jon Fink, a School of Music faculty member. David Kroth of the School of Dance faculty was put to work creating the kind of moody, atmospheric lighting employed in modern dance. The story itself is a tragedy that somewhat parallels the famous Arthurian legend Arthurian legend, the mass of legend, popular in medieval lore, concerning King Arthur of Britain and his knights. Medieval Sources The battle of Mt. Badon—in which, according to the Annales Cambriae (c. of Tristan and Isolde Tristan and Isolde Lovers in a medieval romance based on Celtic legend. The hero Tristan goes to Ireland to ask the hand of the princess Isolde for his uncle, King Mark of Cornwall. . It is prophesied at her birth that Deirdre will be the most beautiful woman in Ireland, but will bring bloodshed blood·shed n. The shedding of blood, especially the injury or killing of people. bloodshed Noun slaughter; killing Noun 1. and death. To avert the prophecy, King Conchubar determines to marry her when she comes of age. However, fate intervenes when Deirdre falls in love with Naoise, a warrior and nephew of Conchubar. The pair escape Ireland and live in exile in Scotland, only to be tricked into returning by the now vengeful king. Naoise is slain, and Deirdre fatally stabs herself. Conchubar has carried out the prophecy he had intended to preclude. Connors' daughter, Bridget, a 1989 CalArts graduate, plays Deirdre. While the actress acknowledges the play is difficult for a modern audience, she said the themes it tackles are timeless. ``Everybody can connect to love. Everybody can connect to jealousy. Everybody can connect to power,'' she said. ``It's poetry, but there is a very clear story. Hopefully, out of power and destruction will come truth and beauty.'' With a decidedly more down-to-earth take on the drama is Lawson: ``It's the battle of looks and youth vs. power and money. Deirdre is a romantic, so she goes for youth. The climax is unbelievably powerful.'' Muse.CalArts hopes to take its show on the road in summer to a Scottish festival, provided it can raise $50,000 for production and travel expenses. The drama is produced by Susan Solt, dean of the School of Theater. THE FACTS WHAT: William B. Yeats' ``Dierdre,'' by CalArts new faculty company Muse.CalArts WHEN: 8 p.m. today; 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday; and 5 p.m. Sunday. WHERE: Walt Disney Modular Theater The Walt Disney Modular Theatre is an indoor performance space located at the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, California. The modular theatre is based on a concept suggested by Antonin Artaud, who asserted that the ideal theatre could be reconfigured for each and , California Institute of the Arts, 24700 McBean Parkway. TICKETS: $7, adults; $2, students and seniors. INFORMATION: (805) 253-7800. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: (Color) Bridget Connors, a CalArts graduate directed by her mother, rehearses her starring role in ``Deirdre,'' by poet W.B. Yeats. Shaun Dyer/Special to the Daily News |
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