The Wooster Group’s production of Pinter’s “The Room” to have its world premier at REDCAT

L.A. audiences will be the first — and possibly the only — people to experience The Wooster Group’s production of British playwright Harold Pinter’s The Room, opening next week for an exclusive 10-day run.

REDCAT, CalArts’ downtown center for contemporary arts, presents the World Premiere of The Wooster Group’s production of The Room Thursday February 4 to Sunday February 14, 2016.

Produced in 1957, Harold Pinter’s The Room is the first play by one of the most important playwrights of a generation. Directed by Elizabeth LeCompte, this theatrical experience builds on the Group’s goal to create “a theater that encompasses all forms of the arts and has an architecture that isn’t located in a naturalistic place: a theater which integrates music, dance and text into the final art form without privileging one over the other.” They approach Pinter’s 1957 play through a range of comedic forms, including American vaudeville and comic routines (duos like Abbott and Costello or the Smothers Brothers), and the ancient form “cross talk” or xiansheng, a two-person comedy style popular in China since the Qing Dynasty.

The cast includes Group members and associates Kate Valk, Suzzy Roche, Ari Fliakos, Philip Moore and Scott Renderer. Lighting: Jennifer Tipton with Ryan Seelig; original music tracks: Omar Zubair; sound: Max Bernstein and Eric Sluyter; sound consultant: Bobby McElver; video and projections: Robert Wuss and Max Bernstein; assistant director and costume supervisor: Enver Chakartash; stage manager: Erin Mullin; production manager: Bona Lee; and technical fellow/sound assistant: Gareth Hobbs.

The Wooster Group’s production of The Room

REDCAT

631 West 2nd Street,

Los Angeles CA 90012

Runs from Thursday February 4 to Sunday February 14, 2016.

Performances:

Thurs Feb 4 – Sat Feb 6 at 8:30 pm

Sun Feb 7 at 3 pm

Tues Feb 9 – Sat Feb 13 at 8:30 pm

Sun Feb 14 at 3 pm

Tickets:

$50-$55 (members $40-45)

For more information and to purchase tickets, go here.

A NOTE FROM THE WOOSTER GROUP:

Over the past forty years, we have experimented with many forms of theater-making. Our interest is in a theater that encompasses all forms of the arts and has an architecture that isn’t located in a naturalistic place: a theater which integrates music, dance and text into the final art form without privileging one over the other.

We approached Harold Pinter’s THE ROOM through a range of comedic forms. Some are familiar from American popular culture tracing back to vaudeville (duos like Abbott and Costello or the Smothers Brothers); and some come from other traditions. Among those is xiansheng or “cross talk,” a two-person comedic form that we encountered on a recent research tour to China supported by the Asian Cultural Council. “Cross talk” originated in the Qing Dynasty and remains extremely popular worldwide with an entire television channel devoted to it. Unlike American TV comedy duos, “cross talk” develops its comedy over time through an extended narrative, allowing more nuance in its storytelling style.

We are always trying to find new ways to tell stories, and putting these comedic forms into conversation with Pinter’s text takes our work in a new direction. 

ABOUT THE WOOSTER GROUP:

Founded in 1975, The Wooster Group has made more than 40 works for theater, dance, film, and video under the direction of Elizabeth LeCompte. These works include RUMSTICK ROAD (1977), L.S.D. (…JUST THE HIGH POINTS…) (1984), FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY (1988), BRACE UP! (1991), THE EMPEROR JONES (1993), HOUSE/LIGHTS (1999), TO YOU, THE BIRDIE! (Phèdre) (2002), HAMLET (2007), THERE IS STILL TIME..BROTHER (2007), LA DIDONE (2009), VIEUX CARRÉ (2011), CRY, TROJANS! (Troilus & Cressida) (2014), and EARLY SHAKER SPIRITUALS: A RECORD ALBUM INTERPRETATION (2014). Based at The Performing Garage at 33 Wooster Street in lower Manhattan, the company regularly tours worldwide, including North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The Performing Garage is part of the Grand Street Artists Co-op, a 1960s project of the Fluxus art movement. More information can be found here.

Development of THE ROOM is supported by: the National Endowment for the Arts Art Works program; public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council; the New York State Council on the Arts; the Asian Cultural Council; the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation; Distracted Globe Foundation; the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation/New York Theater Program; the Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation; The Shubert Foundation; and the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust.

ABOUT REDCAT | THE ROY AND EDNA DISNEY/CALARTS THEATER:

REDCAT, CalArts’ downtown center for contemporary arts, presents a dynamic and international mix of innovative visual, performing and media arts year round. Located inside the iconic Walt Disney Concert Hall complex in downtown Los Angeles, REDCAT houses a theater, a gallery space and a lounge. Through performances, exhibitions, screenings, and literary events, REDCAT introduces diverse audiences, students and artists to the most influential developments in the arts from around the world, and gives artists in this region the creative support they need to achieve national and international stature. REDCAT continues the tradition of the California Institute of the Arts, its parent organization, by encouraging experimentation, discovery and lively civic discourse.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

For current program and exhibition information call 213-237-2800 or visit the official site here.

LOCATION/PARKING:

Street Address: 631 West 2nd Street, Los Angeles CA 90012

REDCAT is located in downtown Los Angeles inside the Walt Disney Concert Hall complex with a separate entrance at the corner of West 2nd and Hope Streets. Parking is available in the Walt Disney Concert Hall parking structure. $9 event rate or $5 for vehicles entering after 8:00 pm on weekdays.

THE CAFÉ LOUNGE | Open to the public six days a week, the Lounge is a great place to spend an afternoon or grab a drink pre- and post-performance. Hours: Tuesdays– Fridays from 9am until 8 pm or post-show; Saturdays from noon until 8 pm or post- show; Sundays from noon until 6pm or post-show

THE GALLERY | REDCAT’s Gallery presents five major exhibitions each year, and publishes artist books and catalogues. Admission to the Gallery is FREE. Gallery Hours: Tuesdays–Sundays from noon until 6 pm and through intermission

THE THEATER | Tickets for programs held in the theater are available through the REDCAT Box Office, by phone 213-237-2800 or online here. Group, member, student and CalArts faculty/staff discounts available.
Box Office Hours: Tuesdays–Saturday from noon until 6 pm or two hours prior to curtain.