I’ve sucked so much at blogging regularly here in the last few months, blowing off dozens of potential preview stories, that local readers have every right to be annoyed that I’ve jumped in to mention a show happening in Los Angeles California by some Yale School of Drama alums who graduated three or four years ago.
But screw it, this sounds cool.
The Last Days of Mary Stuart, is a world-premiere “Electro-opera” running June 21 through July 20 at Son of Semele, 3301 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles. The show was workshopped at the same venue last year. It emanates from Tilted Field Productions, the company co-founded by former YSD classmates Becca Wolff and Jacob Padron. Both are California natives. When in New Haven, they did cool things at the Yale Cabaret. Wolff’s thesis project was Friedrich Schiller’s The Robbers. A previous Tilted Field production featured yet another Yalie of that era, Alex Knox of Eye fame. Knox also appears in Mary Stuart as “Judges #2” and “Badge Man.” The title role is played by Marianne Thompson, and Laila Ayad is Queen Elizabeth.
This is how Tilted Fields describes The Last Days of Mary Stuart:
The charismatic Mary Queen of Scots comes to England and her followers rise up to challenge the power of Queen Elizabeth I. This classic story resonates in our times, as a divided nation attempts to unite in a globalizing world where political and religious differences continually tear it apart. The electro-sound, thoughtful lyrics and dynamic staging make visceral this drama of the eternal struggle between reason and emotion.
Info at:
http://www.tiltedfield.com
http://www.sonofsemele.org/
There is a novel by Robert Hugh Benson about the Babington Plot in which Mary may or may not have been involved but which was the the pretext under which Elizabeth had her beheaded. Title is ‘Come Rack! Come Rope!’. It’s free on the Kindle.
How fine fashion as you stay out.