A Revolution is Coming!

The Reduxion 2012-2013 Season is upon us!  The season kicks off on October 5^th with “Night of Grand Guignol!”  These short vignettes are meant to terrify and titillate with gory special effects and realistic violence.  Take in both a Friday and Saturday show to catch all seven vignettes.  “Night of Grand Guignol” runs through the 27^th.  The revolution continues on November 9^th with “Richard II.”  Guest artist Rex Daugherty stars in the title role in what is sure to be a lively performance featuring live music, dancing and audience participation!  Their February production is one of Shakespeare’s lesser known comedies, “Love’s Labour’s Lost.”  Set in 1953 Spain, this reinterpretation of Shakespeare’s classic is great for a family night out.  The show runs at the Broadway Theater February 8^th through March 3^rd, followed by the Metro Library System tour.  The season ends with “The History of Tom Jones” May 3^rd through the 25^th.  Based on the novel by Henry Fielding, “The History of Tom Jones” promises to be an action packed show about the scoundrel with a heart of gold.

I spoke to Erin Woods, Managing Director at Reduxion Theatre Company about the upcoming season, her original adaptations, and her vision for RTC.  I reviewed her adaptation of “Sense and Sensibility” last season and attended the reading of her adaptation of “Pride and Prejudice” at the first ever Jane Austen Festival at the Broadway Theater, and wanted to find out a bit more about her process.  Woods acknowledged the difficulty of cutting down such dense stories into a production manageable not only for audiences, but also the actors and director.  She writes the play she’d want to perform or direct—fast paced and practical—while staying true to the language and intent of the original work.  These principles are evident in both “Sense and Sensibility” and “Pride and Prejudice,” which manage to both convey the stories in a meaningful way and flow smoothly for the actors and the audience.  Woods also gave me a little insight into how the Reduxion season is planned.  Every season includes two Shakespeare plays, at least one comedy and one tragedy, and “one really different.”  Their fifth season, Revolution, creates within these parameters what is sure to be an interesting and exciting season, drawing from their mission “to professionally produce both classical and contemporary theatre, enriching Oklahoma’s cultural, educational and economic climate, attracting artists and audiences from around the world.”  Also worth noting is their “Classics for Kids” program, which includes touring productions, student matinée performances of “Love’s Labour’s Lost,” and “Classics Camp,” a two week theatre day camp for teens, as well as other workshops and private coaching.