Timon of Athens Press Release
BARE THEATRE RETURNS WITH A NIGHTCLUB PRODUCTION OF
SHAKESPEARE’S “TIMON OF ATHENS”
After a nine month hiatus, Bare Theatre announces that production is underway for a full staging of a revised version of William Shakespeare and Thomas Middleton’s 1605 tragedy The Life of Timon of Athens.
Tackling one of the Bard’s genre-defying “Problem Plays,” director Dustin Britt (2017’s ShakesBEER and 2018’s ShakesBEER II: The Bard Strikes Back) incorporates choreography, new wave and post-punk music, and an infusion of queer politics, placing the audience inside the decadence of a cocaine-fueled, bloodstained 1987 hotspot: Club Athens. The audience will be on the dance floor with the company, experiencing the show from all angles. Recent UK productions of the rarely-staged play have highlighted the conspicuous themes of greed and financial ruin, but Britt’s interpretation sheds light on the text’s fiery human relationships.
The production will feature Kacey Reynolds Schedler as club owner Timon of Athens herself. Our design team consists entirely of queer artists, artists of color, and female-identifying artists and we seek an equally diverse cast. It is important to Bare Theatre that our entire community is represented by characters on the stage. Relevance, relatability, and representation attract new audiences and stimulate conversation. Staging Shakespeare is the perfect opportunity for inclusive casting and staffing. We seek to employ and train new talent and amplify some often-stifled voices all while providing an entertaining and cathartic live experience.
Our table of community partners continues to grow. The LGBT Center of Raleigh, St. John’s Metropolitan Community Church, The Wicked Witch, and Sonorous Road Theatre & Film Studio have already joined in making Timon of Athens a success with facilities donations, promotional support, and volunteers.
We welcome production previews and reviews and invite members of the press to contact us with any questions! We are happy to address requests for cast and crew interviews.
Contact: Dustin Britt
Email: Admin@baretheatre.org
Phone: (919) 819-0121
Website: Baretheatre.org
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram: @BareTheatre
Production Team:
Dustin Britt, director and lighting designer
Khoa D. Pham, producer and graphics designer
Chris Acevedo, stage manager
Matthew Tucker, assistant stage manager
Katie Moorehead, costume designer
Ann Chenoweth-Carr, props designer
Tara Nicole Williams, fight and intimacy choreographer*
Heather J. Strickland, choreographer
Loni Lyn Price, community outreach coordinator
Chantee Joyner of Seyehts Photography, production photographer
*Bare Theatre is one of the first theatre companies in the triangle area to employ the use of an intimacy choreographer.
CLUB SHOWS
Venue: The Wicked Witch
Address: 416 W South St, Raleigh, NC 27601
Cost: $18
Tickets: Online via eTix or at the door (cash or card). Link is at www.baretheatre.org
Dates & Times:
Friday, March 1 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, March 2 at 8:00 PM
Thursday, March 7 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, March 9 at 8:00 PM
Thursday, March 14 at 8:00 PM
Friday, March 15 at 8:00 PM
WHAT ARE “CLUB SHOWS”?
Club Shows will be performed at The Wicked Witch nightclub and bar in downtown Raleigh and are restricted to patrons aged 18+, per venue policy.
This is the full “uncut” version of the production, including simulated violence, sexuality, and drug use. This is the most immersive version of Bare’s production of Timon of Athens, where patrons are thrust right into the action of Club Athens with all of the lights, glamour, smoke, eyeshadow, and loud club music of the late 1980s.
Patrons should also be prepared for flashing lights, loud music, haze, and prolonged periods of darkness.
The Wicked Witch bar will be open to patrons 21+.
There is free street parking near the club. To protect the safety of patrons, actors, and club staff, there is no late seating at these performances and latecomers will have to wait until intermission for admittance.
WHY THE WICKED WITCH?
Opened in 2017 by the owners of Raleigh’s Ruby Deluxe club and The Night Rider bar, TWW both hosts and fosters emerging talent in our community, showcasing the work of queer artists and artists of color: an array of touring musicians, DJs, theatre artists, burlesque troupes, and drag performers. With advanced sound and lighting technology and an elegant gothic atmosphere, TWW is a perfect space for Bare’s Timon of Athens, easily representing both the glamorous nightlife of Club Athens and the dark Athenian underground. Owner Timothy Lemuel has been working closely with Bare Theatre to make this production as immersive as possible.
COMMUNITY SHOWS
Venue: St. John’s Metropolitan Community Church
Address: 622 Maywood Ave, Raleigh, NC 27603
Website: stjohnsmcc.org
Cost: Pay-what-you-can ($15 suggested)
Tickets: At the door (cash preferred; cards accepted)
Dates & Times:
Thursday, February 28 at 7:00 PM
Friday, March 8 at 7:00 PM
Saturday, March 16 at 7:00 PM
WHAT ARE “COMMUNITY SHOWS”?
Community Shows will be performed St. John’s MCC in south Raleigh and are open to the public. Shows are at 7:00 PM and accessibility-supported. All performances here have a reduced level of violence, sexuality, and drug use. The show include flashing lights, periods of darkness, and some simulated violence. This is a slightly “tamer” version of the Club Shows, but still recommended for patrons aged 13+.
All Community Show performances are PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN and AT THE DOOR so that all of our community members can attend the show. There is a suggested donation of $15.
WHY ST. JOHN’S?
St. John’s MCC is well-known in the Raleigh area for its inclusivity and diversity. Their congregation includes people of European, African, Asian, Hispanic and Native American heritage. Congregants and leaders include female-identifying, male-identifying, and transgender people. They welcome people from all socioeconomic strata. Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, straight and questioning folks are all welcomed with open arms. Pastor Vance Haywood is working very closely with Bare Theatre to bring Timon of Athens to the widest possible audience.
HOW DOES THIS HELP THE COMMUNITY?
The St. John’s MCC Food Pantry and the Lunch Boxes of Love Ministry (LBOL) provide food and other essential items to hundreds of people each month. Through LBOL, they regularly feed people at the South Wilmington Street Center Homeless Shelter for Men, the Love Wins Community Engagement Center, and at their own City on a Hill Community Center on Maywood Avenue (where three Timon of Athens shows will be performed). Community organizations will be on-site during performances to provide information about their programs.
We encourage Bare Theatre patrons to join the Timon cast and crew in bringing donations for the food pantry on show nights. For more information about the program and what they need, please visit stjohnsmcc.org/programs/food-pantry-and-lunch-boxes-of-love
Helpful Links:
Facebook Event Page: Club Shows
Facebook Event Page: Community Shows
Bare Theatre website
Bare Theatre on Facebook
Bare Theatre on Twitter
Bare Theatre on Instagram
St. John’s MCC website
The Wicked Witch club website
LGBT Center of Raleigh website
Sonorous Road Theatre website
Timon of Athens wikipedia
Timon of Athens full original text
