Posting Date: September 23, 2011
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Double bill celebrates work of Jean Cocteau
Kennesaw State presents two short plays
By
Kendrick Gaston
 |
The KSU Department of Theatre, Performance Studies & Dance will present “The Cocteau Hour,” a double billing highlighting the works of French playwright Jean Cocteau, October 4-9 in the Black Box Theater.
“The Cocteau Hour” will begin with Cocteau’s play “The Eiffel Tower Wedding Party” directed by Margaret Baldwin. “I discovered this piece in a theater history class when I was I grad school,” explains Baldwin. “I fell in love with this little play that broke all the rules of dramatic realism.” According to Baldwin, this delightful and disturbing surrealist farce takes place on the first platform of the Eiffel Tower, as a photographer is trying to take a photo of a wedding party. His camera refuses to oblige, as unlikely creatures – including an ostrich and a lion – emerge from the camera every time he tries to snap the shot.
The evening will conclude with the world premier of “The Veiling Mists, or More Perils of Photography” written and directed by experimental theatre artist Michael Haverty. In this original response, commissioned by KSU, the ideas and images from Cocteau's plays are reflected through a shattered mirror of theatricalized hysteria, sadistic neurologic research, and spiritual longing.
Baldwin hopes the audience “will gain an appreciation for the originality of Cocteau's work as a multidisciplinary theatre artist.”
This performance is not suitable for all audiences. The Tuesday through Saturday performances will take place at 8 p.m. and the Sunday performance will begin at 2 p.m. Tickets for the performance are $12. Discounts are available for KSU personnel, seniors, military, and groups. For more information, visit the KSU box office or call 770-423-6650.