‘Marat/Sade,’ a work of total theater, opens March 15 at Cornell
March 5, 2007
MOUNT VERNON — Inmates of an asylum on the outskirts of Paris stage a play about the murder of revolutionary Jean-Paul Marat in the Cornell College production of “Marat/Sade” opening Thursday, March 15, in the Plumb-Fleming Studio Theatre of Armstrong Hall.
The full title of the play is “The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade,” but this celebrated work of theater has become popularly known simply as “Marat/Sade.” Performances continue March 16-17 and 23-24. All shows are at 8 p.m. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for seniors, students and youth. Reserve tickets at (319) 895-4293.
Written in the mid-sixties by Peter Weiss and famously staged by legendary director Peter Brook, “Marat/Sade” has become known as a work of total theater, mixing violent action, stirring music, provocative political debate and bravura acting. The New York Times described it as “…a vivid work that vibrates on wild, intense, murmurous and furious levels. It is sardonic and impassioned, pitiful and explosive. It may put you off at times … it may shock you. … But it will not leave you untouched.”
“This is perhaps the most ambitious production Cornell has ever undertaken,” says professor Mark Hunter, the director. The Cornell production has a cast of 28 actors and musicians. “Marat/Sade” is intended for mature audiences.
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