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Duke Arts Presents

Classical Theatre of Harlem

Friday, October 23, 2009 | 8:00 pm

Reynolds Industries Theater


“A country road. A tree. Evening.”
–Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godot

This “dauntless” company (New York Times) drew a crowd of 10,000 to the New Orleans performance of its Godot revival, which it staged in the 9th Ward, on the porch of a flooded house, after black Americans had waited months for a more concrete kind of salvation. At Duke, the Harlem-based company’s “bracing and immediate” adaptation of Beckett’s play (Time Out NY) sharpens yet another radical edge of this timeless parable of abandonment. The tramps, the road, and the tree could be in Wilmington (race riot 1898), Rocky Mount (flooded 1999), Durham — or anywhere Americans wait for help that either will arrive or won’t.
Residency runs October 18 – October 25, 2009.

 

Director: Christopher McElreon
Stage Manager: Jeff Glaser

Cast:
Estragon – J. Kyle Manzay
Vladimir – Billy Eugene Jones
Lucky – Glenn Gordon
Pozzo – Christian Rummel
a boy – Jeff Glaser

 

“One of the gutsiest and physically fearless groups around.”
Time Out New York

“If there is a more dauntless ensemble in New York I don’t know what it is.”
New York Times

Recent Boston Globe review of Waiting for Godot

 

Classical Theatre of Harlem’s Residency Schedule
Monday, October 19

11:40-12:55 pm: Class Visit: Asian American Theatre with Prof. Sean Metzger
— Social Sciences Building, Room 107, Duke West Campus
• Politics of Ethnic Theaters in the US with CTH’s Christopher McElroen

7:00-9:00 pm: Conversation featuring Christopher McElroen & J Kyle Manzay of CTH’s Waiting for Godot & Joseph Megel & Howard Craft of Manbites Dog’s Caleb Calypso & the Midnight Marauders, moderated by MbD’s Jay O’Berski
— Manbites Dog Theater, 703 Foster Street, Durham

Tuesday, October 20

1:15-2:30 pm: Class Visit: Special Topics in Acting with Prof. Jay O’Berski
— Brody Theater, Room 001, Duke East Campus
• Physical Acting Workshop with CTH’s J Kyle Manzay

3:00-4:00 pm: Class Visit: Set Design with Prof. Torry Bend
— Bryan Center, Room 045, Theater Studies Design Studio, Duke West Campus
• Site-Specific Theater & Set Design in NOLA with CTH’s Christopher McElroen

Wednesday, October 21

11:40-12:55 pm: Class Visit: Reading Theater 101 with Prof. Sarah Beckwith
— Bivins Building, Room 214, Duke East Campus
• Godot’s Function as a Play with CTH’s Christopher McElroen

2:50-4:05 pm: Class Visit: Readings in Genre: Modern Tragedy, Sophocles to Syriana with Prof. Nathan Hensley
— Keohane 4B, 402 Seminar, Duke East Campus
Waiting for Godot as a Tragicomedy with CTH’s Christopher McElroen

Friday, October 23

1:00-2:00 pm: LUNCHBOX Discussion Series with Duke Theater Studies Faculty Prof. Jay O’Berski & Prof. Jody McAuliffe with CTH’s Christopher McElereon & J Kyle Manzay
— Brody Theater, Duke East Campus
• Directing Beckett

CTH Residency Schedule (.jpg)