Ionesco Festival

Production List

Untitled Theater Company #61's ninth season featured our IONESCO FESTIVAL, the biggest event of our history. From September 6 though December 16 of 2001, we presented a comprehensive festival of all the works of Eugène Ionesco. It was an unprecedented festival for one of the greatest playwrights of the last century, an icon of the Theater of the Absurd. Not only did we have productions of every play he has written in our festival, we also had an accompanying film festival at Anthology Film Archives, seminars, readings, and our unique Shorts Program of rotating one-act curtain raisers. The Festival happened throughout New York City, with the participation of over thirty other theater companies and institutions, at a dozen different Venues. It would not have been possible without our staff and sponsors

If you are interested in reading more, consult the essays by our Dramaturg, Karen Ott: "Eugène Ionesco: Man of the Theatre/Theatrical Man" and "Rhinoceros: Thick-skinned Phenomenon". Also, you can read the Curator's Note by Edward Einhorn

The following is a list of the full length productions in the Festival. Go to the bottom of the page for further links to other information about the festival

Untitled Theater Company #61

Rhinoceros
Ionesco’s famous comedy about conformity and pachyderms
Translated by Derek Prouse
Directed by Edward Einhorn
The Connelly Theater
220 E. 4 St.
September 6–29
THU Sep 6 6:30, SAT Sep 8 8:30, MON Sep 10 8:00, SAT Sep 15 2:00, FRI Sep 21 8:00, SAT Sep 22 2:00, TUE Sep 25 8:00, SAT Sep 29 8:30

Tales for Children Less Than Three Years Old
Abusurdity with puppets, from stories Ionesco told his daughter
Translated by Helen R. Lane
Directed by Edward Einhorn
The Connelly Theater
220 E. 4 St.
September 8–30
Saturdays and Sundays at 12 noon
Saturday, Sep 15 at 7:30
Friday, September 21 at 6:30

Carolyn Jauch & Co

The Killing Game
Many scenes about a plague, at the end of which everyone dies
Translated by Helen Gary Bishop
Directed by Caroline Jauch
The Connelly Theater
220 E. 4 St.
BILINGUAL (FRENCH/ENGLISH)
September 8–29
SAT Sep 8 2:00, SUN Sep 9 8:00, WED Sep 12 8:30, SAT Sep 15 9:00, SAT Sep 22 5:30, SUN Sep 23 2:00, FRI Sep 28 8:30, SAT Sep 29 4:00

Gemini CollisionWorks

The New Tenant
A man rents an empty apartment, but soon it explodes with furniture
Translated by Donald Watson
Directed by Ian W. Hill
The Connelly Theater
220 E. 4 St.
September 6–28
THU Sep 6 10:00, SUN Sep 9 2:00, THU Sep 13 9:30, FRI Sep 14 8:00, SUN Sep 16 5:30, WED Sep 19 8:00, SUN Sep 23 10:00, FRI Sep 28 6:30

The Viscount
Ionesco’s unfinished play, finished by the Marx Brothers. Hellzapoppin’!
FIRST EVER ENGLISH TRANSLATION by Ian W. Hill and Berit Johnson
Directed by Ian W. Hill
The Connelly Theater
220 E. 4 St.
September 8–29
SAT Sep 8 7:00, WED Sep 12 6:30, FRI Sep 14 10:00, SUN Sep 16 8:00, WED Sep 19 6:30, SUN Sep 23 6:00, THU Sep 27 10:00, SAT Sep 29 7:00

Hyun Jung Lee

Journeys Among the Dead
Ionesco’s autobiographical dream play
Translated by Barbara Wright
Directed by Hyun Jung Lee
220 E. 4 St.
The Connelly Theater
September 7–30
FRI Sep 7 8:30, SUN Sep 9 4:00, TUE Sep 11 8:00, SUN Sep 16 2:00, THU Sep 20 8:30, SAT Sep 22 8:30, MON Sep 24 8:00, SUN Sep 30 2:00

Investigadores del Arte Escenico

Jack, or the Submission
Jack’s parents have found for him a beauty with three noses
Directed by Renato de la Riva
Translated by Luis Echávarri
Adapted by Concepción García Lomas
IN SPANISH, FROM MEXICO
Clemente Soto Velez, Milagro Theater
107 Suffolk St.
Box office: 212-206-1515 x16
October 22–28
Monday through Wednesday at 7:00
Thursday through Saturday at 8:00
Saturday and Sunday at 2:00

The Future is in Eggs
Jack and Roberta, doing their duty and breeding
Directed by Renato de la Riva
Translated by Luis Echávarri
Adapted by Concepción García Lomas
IN SPANISH, FROM MEXICO
Clemente Soto Velez
107 Suffolk St.
Box office: 212-206-1515 x16
October 22–28
Monday through Wednesday at 9:00
Thursday through Saturday at 10:00
Saturday and Sunday at 5:00

Ionesco’s Shorts

(Made of all the companies presenting Shorts)
Call 212-387-2043
Conversations 8–16, The Duel, Foursome, Salutations
The Connelly, Sunday, September 23, at 8:00

Conversations 6,7,10,11, Motor Show, The Niece-Wife, To Prepare a Hard Boiled Egg
Clemente Soto Velez, La Tea, Tuesday, October 30, at 8:00

Conversations 1–5, The Foot of the Wall, Learning to Walk, Maid to Marry,
Bank St. Theater, Tuesday, November 27, at 8:00
155 Bank St.

Looking Glass Theater

Man With Bags
An all female version of a surreal journey
Translated by Marie-France Ionesco
Adapted by Israel Horowitz
Directed by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer
Looking Glass Theater
422 West 57th St. (between 9th and 10th)
Bocx office: 212-307-9467
November 14 through December 16 (except for November 21 and 22)
Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8:00 and Sundays at 5:00

Lost Tribe Theatre Company and The FHB Theater Company

Jack, or the Submission
Jack’s parents have found for him a beauty with three noses
Translated by Donald Allen
Bank St. Theater
155 Bank St.
Box office: 212-714-4981
Directed by Glory Sims Bowen
November 9–20
FRI Nov 9 10:45, SAT Nov 10 10:45 SUN Nov 11 8pm, TUE Nov 13 8:00, WED Nov 14 8:00 FRI Nov 16 10:45, SAT Nov 17 10:45, SUN Nov 18 8:00, TUE Nov 19 9:00, WED Nov 20 8:00

Mouth to Mouth

The Chairs
An aged couple gathers together an invisible audience for an important announcement
Translated by Donald Allen
Directed by Tina Polzin
HERE
145 6th Ave.
October 5–21
Fridays through Sundays at 7:30, Sundays at 3:00

The Nighthouse Company

The Killer
A perfect, beautiful city, with only one flaw—a serial killer
Translated by Donald Watson
The Present Company Theatorium
196-198 Stanton St.
Call Smarttix: 212-206-1515
Directed by David Gaard
November 2–17
FRI Nov 2 11:00, SAT Nov 3 4:00, SAT Nov 3 11:00, FRI Nov 9 7:00, SAT Nov 10 2:00, SAT Nov 10 7:00, WED Nov 14 8:00, THU Nov 15 8:00, FRI Nov 16 9:00, Sat Nov 17 9:00

The Pearl Theater Company

Exit the King
King Berenger dies. Watch the countdown
Translated by Edwin Honig
The Pearl Theater
Directed by Joseph Hardy
OFF-BROADWAY
September 13 – October 21
Tuesdays at 7:00, Wednesdays at 2:00, Thursdays & Fridays at 8:00
Satudays at 2:00 & 8:00, Sundays at 2:00

Purple Man Theater

Hunger and Thirst
Jean's quest for fulfillment, in three acts
Translated by Donald Watson
Directed by Marc Weitz
Clemente Soto Velez, La Tea Theater
107 Suffolk St.
Box office: 212-206-1515 x16
October 26 – November 10
October 26, 27 at 8pm
November 1,2,3,8,9,10 at 8pm
November 4 at 3pm

The Revolving Shakespeare Company

Macbett
The Scottish play, only more comic and less optimistic
Translated by Charles Marowitz
Directed by Kip Rosser
Greenwich St. Playhouse
547 Greenwich St. (A few blocks south of Houston)
Box office: 212-255-3940
November 23 – December 1
FRI Nov 23 8:00, SAT Nov 24 2:00, SAT Nov 24 8:00, SUN Nov 25 2:00, TUE Nov 27 8:00, WED Nov 28 8:00, THU Nov 29 8:00, FRI Nov 30 8:00, SAT Dec 1 2:00, SAT Dec 1 8:00

Sanctuary Theater

The Picture (preceded by The Oversight)
An artist sells his art to an increasingly demanding buyer
The Oversight translated by Donald Watson
The Picture translated by Abigail Saunders
Directed by Ian Belton
ONE NIGHT, OFF-BROADWAY PERFORMANCE
Date, Venue TBA

Spotlight On & 2B Theatre

A Hell of a Mess
A man sits in his apartment as the crazy world runs on
Translated by Helen Gary Bishop
Directed by Brenda D. Cook
Space 24
241 E. 24th St.
October 3 – October 19
Wednesday through Friday at 7:00

Spring Theatreworks

Frenzy for Two, or More
A small argument with large consequences
Translated by Donald Watson
The Present Company Theatorium
196-198 Stanton St.
Call Smarttix: 212-206-1515
October 31 – November 17
WED Oct 31 10:00, THU Nov 1 8:00, FRI Nov 2 9:00 SAT Nov 3 9:00, FRI Nov 9 11:00, SAT Nov 10 4:00, SAT Nov 10 11:00, FRI Nov 16 7:00, SAT Nov 16 2:00, SAT Nov 17 7:00

The Subjective Theatre Company

Victims of Duty
A detective story whose solution is at the bottom of a mind
Translated by Donald Watson
Directed by Zachary R. Mannheimer
The Present Company Theatorium
196-198 Stanton St.
Call Smarttix: 212-206-1515
November 2–17
FRI Nov 2 7:00, SAT Nov 3 2:00, SAT Nov 3 7:00
WED Nov 7 8:00, THU Nov 8 8:00, FRI Nov 9 7:00, SAT Nov 10 9:00, FRI Nov 16 11:00, Sat Nov 17 4:00, Sat Nov 17 11:00

True Comedy Theatre Company

Improvisation (preceded by The Leader)
Admirers excitedly await their leader's arrival, Ionesco visited by his critics, à la Moliere
The Leader translated by Derek Prouse and directed by John Hagan
Improvisation translated by Donald Watson and directed by Yolanda Hawkins
The Connelly Theater
220 E. 4th St.
September 7–29
FRI Sep 7 6:30, SAT Sep 8 5:00, THU Sep 13 7:30, SAT Sep 15 5:30, WED Sep 19 10:00 THU Sep 20 6:30 THU Sep 27 8:00 SAT Sep 29 1:30

Also, Chicago's Court Theater will be presenting a production of The Chairs from November 8 through December 9

Links to other Ionesco Festival sites

Untitled Theater Company #61 Home Page
Day by Day Schedule
Shorts
Seminars
Readings
Venues/Box office numbers
Festival Passes
Films
Staff and sponsors
Biography of Eugène Ionesco
Curator's note
Essay on Rhinoceros
More information on Ionesco and his plays at www.ionesco.org