News Release (February 27, 1974) TESC to host a musical play by writer, Peter Weiss
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Identifier
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Release_1973-1974_1974-303
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Title
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News Release (February 27, 1974) TESC to host a musical play by writer, Peter Weiss
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Date
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27 February 1974
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extracted text
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s
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The Evergreen State College
Olympia, Washington
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
98505
753-2780
For more information
Judy Annis, 866-6128
Febraury 27, 1974
EVERGREEN DRAMA GROUP
PRESENTS "MARAT/SADE"
''Marat/Sade,'' Peter Weiss' spine-tingling musical play set against
the tumultuous times of the French Revolution, will be presented at The Evergreen
State College March 7, 8, and 9 in the main lobby of the Daniel J. Evans Library
Building.
All performances of the two~act drama begin at 8 p.m. and are open to
the public at a cost of $1 for adults and 50 cents for students.
Directed by Faculty Member Ainara Wilder, the Winter Quarter production features
32 student performers from Evergreen's Theater and Dance Studi-es Program, an Olympia
minister, and a ten-piece college orchestra directed by Faculty Member Will Humphreys
of Evergreen's America's Music Program.
Choreography for the production is under
the direction of another Evergreen instructor, Bud Johansen.
The plays tells the story of the persecution and assassination of John Paul
Marat, a doctor and chief author of a newspaper which became one of the spearheads
of the French Revolution.
The dramatic production centers around historical activities which occurred in
the Asylum of Charenton and the assassination itself is part of a play within the play.
Between 1797 and 1811, the director of the asylum, Monsieur Coulmier, established
regular theatrical entertainments at his clinic as part of the therapeutic. treatment
of his patients.
Marquis De Sade, an inmate, wrote and directed many of these enter-
tainments and it became fashionable in Paris to visit the asylum to watch the inmates'
-more-
antics in the performances.
Dick
Nichols.
Infor mation
Director
Services
-2.Marat's assassination by Charlotte Corday, who became one of Marat's enemies
during Revolutionary politics, is part of the play presented by inmates of the
asylum.
Leading performers are Daniel Dootson, a Bremerton student cast as Marat;
Brooke Newel, a Fresno, California student who plays Corday; and Craig Stewart, a
student from Salem, Oregon, cast as Marquis De Sade.
Associate of the Rector at Olympia's St.
Reverend Herbert McLellan,
John's Episcopal Church, portrays Monsieur
Coulmier.
Sets for the play were designed by Ms. Wilder.
student
Emily Rogers of Olympia.
Costumes were designed by
A student crew assembled the costumes.
Since Evergreen has no auditorium, students, faculty and support staff will be
busy from February 27 to March 1 converting the college's main library lobby into
a 3S0-seat temporary theater.
The stage and other constructions will be in place by
March 1 and, starting the next day, the cast and orchestra will begin final
evening rehearsals.
"This
p roductLon
is the largest and most ambitious theatrical effort yet
undertaken at Evergreen," according to Ms. Wilder.
"Receipts will be used to cover
production costs which could not be fully met from other college sources contributing
to the performance."
A IS-minute intermission will separate the two acts of the drama/musical.
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