Vieux Carre

The Wooster Group is producing the little known Tennessee Williams flop VIEUX CARRE which played only 5 performances on Broadway in 1977 with a cast including Sylvia Sidney and Richard Alfieri (who went on to write SIX DANCE LESSONS IN SIX WEEKS).

This new production is an experimental work in progress which was first conceived more than two years ago and was rehearsed for about four months before premiering in Europe.

tt here  Just realised what the above photo reminds me of

 Using soundscapes, video and a company of eight doubling and tripling roles, this is a hugely challenging and exciting experience.

 Because we were sitting in the middle of the front row I noticed three video monitors throughout the show angled towards the actors and playing long sections from the Andy Warhol/Paul Morrisey movies "Flesh" , "Trash" and "Heat" (usually the sex scenes involving Joe Dallesandro) as well as scenes from Chinese opera. Then I realised that some of the actors were costumed and made up to resemble Warhol stars Joe Dallesandro, Holly Woodlawn, Sylvia Miles and Jane Forth and that they were constantly observing the action onscreen and mimicking the movement as they delivered the lines of the Williams play. A fascinating experiment apparently unseen by the bulk of the audience.

We stayed for a talkback session with the company after the show and the director Elizabeth LeCompte said that her main influences in the creative process were Tennessee Williams's memoirs, the art films of Ryan Trecartin and  Paul Morrissey (Aha!!) as well as Chinese Opera, porn movies, a research trip to New Orleans, Pink Floyd's "The Wall" and the Greek fertility God, Priapus. Indeed, two of the male characters sported oversize permanent erections throughout the play. You won't see THAT at "Wicked"!