Woyzeck...

Past Production - November/December 2003
by Georg Buchner
Directed by Mace Archer

Director's Notes:  Woyzeck is referred to as a precursor to the modern theatre. It is a play that relies on subtext and ambiguity to tell its story. Prior to Buchner's text, which remained unfinished upon his death, plays tended toward the obvious. Not that preceding plays couldn't be rich in theme and content. After all, there was a guy named William Shakespeare who wrote a couple of very good little plays prior to Buchner. Hsitorians, however, hail Woyzeck as a precursor to cinema with its episodic and imagistic style. Woyzeck also presupposes the advent of moder realism, creating complex characters who are rich in subtext and contradictions, almost bereft of self awareness. Of course, none of us at Venture are theatre historians. We are simply performers who are in need of texts that will challenge our very understanding of the theatre and ourselves. Woyzeck asks basic human questions about the nature of madness and the nature of the class system. I hope you'll be as curious about the play as we have been. It is a tough nut to crack. And even if we do the play justice for you tonight, Woyzeck will still leave you with more questions than answers. It's the nature of a classic, and hopefully the nature of Venture Theatre.

Press and Photos:

See photos and read Christine Meyer's October 17 article about the first season in Venture's new space on Montana Avenue in the Billings Gazette here.

Cast:

Woyzeck:  Paul Schafer
Marie:  Anna O'Donnell
Drum Major/Karl the Idiot:  Don Corcoran
Old Woman/Acadamician/Bar Woman/Grandmother:  Dina Atwood
Charlatan/Jew/Innkeeper/Man:  Travis Bierwagen
Apprentice #1/Acadamician/Bar Woman:  Wendy Carlin
Andres/Sergeant/Doctor:  D.R. Edmonds
Captain/Proprietor of the Booth/Judge/Man:  Adam Jacques
Margaret/Apprentice #2/Acadamician/Kathy:  Casidee Riley

Production & Design:

Director:  Mace Archer
Lighting Design:  Tim Gross
Light Operator:  Tim Gross
Follow Spot Operator:  Tuesday Rogers
Set Design:  Tim Gross, Mace Archer
Costumes:  Casidee Riley, Dina Atwood, Sherrie Archer, Lysa Fox
Special Thanks:  Carolyn Peters, Sue Riley, Matt McDonald, Amanda Ray, Dorothy Morstein, Carl Fox 

Show Dates & Times:

November 28, 2003 - 8:00 (Friday)
November 29, 2003 - 8:00 (Saturday)

December 5, 2003 - 8:00 (Friday)
December 6, 2003 - 8:00 (Saturday)

December 12, 2006 - 8:00 (Friday)
December 13, 2006 - 8:00 (Saturday)

Show Location:

Venture's Blackbox Theatre: 2317 Montana Ave., Billings, MT