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Photo By Jymi Bolden
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The Know Theatre Tribe takes on some classic and
controversial literature in its latest show.
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Never afraid of a controversial topic, The Know Theatre Tribe is back with their annual series of Know-To-Go traveling productions. This year's production, BANNED: Suppressed Literature, inspired by the American Library Association's Banned Books Week Sept. 20-27, features excerpts from various controversial works whose political, social, sexual or religious content has been challenged.
"We wanted to get the idea out that there are people, even today, who want to censor thought and opinion," says Jim Waldfogle, dramaturg and tour producer. Given the current climate of conservative censorship that has seemingly swept the nation, the group feels that the subject matter for the upcoming productions is "timely," says Jay Kalagayan, Know Theatre's executive director.
Encompassing a range of authors and genres, the censored works feature poems by Shel Silverstein and Sylvia Plath and excerpts from The Bible and Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf. Showcasing an array of divergent topics flows consistent with the audience that typically attends the Know's productions.
"Our niche is a more open, diverse base," says Waldfogle, "Our core audience will not be shocked or offended by what we do."
Choosing which texts to highlight and forming the presentation is a separate challenge. Waldfogle and director Luke Brockmeier sifted through an abundance of material before making the final selection. One of their primary sources for research was a collection called, 100 Banned Books. According to the two, not all literary pieces can be effectively translated from the page to the stage. Those that do work theatrically, follow a more "organic process," says Brockmeier.
The predominantly female cast will naturally flow with the dialogue presented from each novel or not. According to Kalagayan, their performances thrive off this sort of spirited, natural energy and allow the cast to experiment more with the material.
Among the performances are Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses, Kurt Vonnegut's Palm Sunday and Ray Bradbury's classic novel, Fahrenheit 451, a story that focuses on the suppression of literature.
Brockmeier views the selection of Mein Kampf as one of the more challenging, yet intriguing and well-timed, performances of this year's lineup. The staging of this particular piece divides the timeline of events in Hitler's rise to power and creates dialogue around it.
"It was way too smooth of a flow. That pattern of thought is almost too familiar here in America. One character (in the performance) touches on how you go from 'compassionate conservatism' to the Nazis," he says.
The group doesn't advocate a pro or con political stance on any of the topics they present, according to Brockmeier. However, they do believe that their mission is to provide a forum where discussion about issues can take place.
"It does no good to say that you're against something if you have no idea what it is you are against," Brockmeier says.
The Tribe has a history of bringing different opinions and ideas to the forefront for discussion. Focal topics have spanned from defiant, poetic reflections about race by African-American poets in RISE: Reflections of One Race to the frustrating musings of gay authors through TORN: Gay in America. Question-and-answer sessions follow each performance allowing dialogue to open up among the audience and cast members.
Venues for performances of Banned are as diverse as the audience and range of topics that the Know is noted for. The English Department of Xavier University hosts opening night on Sept. 24. Later in the schedule, the Know goes from the Mercantile Library to Jacob's on the Avenue in Northside on Oct. 1. Variety lends to the excitement that artists bring when working with the Know.
Banned: Supressed Literature opens on Sept. 24 and runs through Oct. 3. A special preview performance Sunday at Plush benefits the Citizens to Restore Fairness. To get a complete listing of performances, see the CityBeat calendar listings or visit knowtheatre.com for details.
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