Ubu Roi

By Alfred Jarry
Translated by Barbara Wright
Directed by Kathleen Akerley
October 12 – November 9, 2002

“An engaging, gymnastic production, one who’s highly combustible power source is the six fired-up young actors who portray more than 40 characters… Turning a Methodist church on Columbia Road into their personal playing field, the young men take on the assignment as if UBU ROI were a rugby scrum.”
— Washington Post

What started as a schoolboy joke became a revolution in theatre when this bizarre and comic retelling of MacBeth premiered in 1896. The story goes that at the Paris opening, the uttering of its first word (a mispronunciation of the word “merde”) incited riots as the play assaulted all that the theatre and its community of aristocratic patrons had held sacred. That night a new form of comedy was born, and unleashed on the world was the monstrous Pere Ubu, a personification of all that is base within us.

“ This group consistently chooses tough material and brings exuberance and intelligence to its choices.”
— Washington City Paper

PRODUCED BY Jenny McConnell and Randy Baker

FEATURING Michael John Casey, James Denvil, Jason Lott, Scott McCormick, Jason Stiles, Dan Via.
DESIGNED BY Jason A. Arnold (Lighting), Matthew Frederick (Sound), Michele Reisch (Costumes), Jesse Terrill (Composer), David C. Ghatan, Debra Kim Sivigny, and Beth Baldwin (Set)
STAGE MANAGED BY Meg Taintor and Jjana Valentiner (Asst SM)

Performed in THE SANCTUARY THEATRE at Casa Del Pueblo Calvary Methodist Church
(Rorschach Theatre’s home: 2002-2007)