TIMON OF WHO?

Timon of Athens. Who wrote that?

Though the answer to this question seems to be woefully unknown to many, and debated by an even smaller sum, Timon has luckily found a home with ASP this season.

It has been quite the productive and not uneventful week for us. Bill was nearly kept asunder from the group by the great European ash oddity of 2010. Thankfully, however, our fearless leader ended up missing only....our first rehearsal. Impressive? Yes. But that's Bill for you.

Through his compassionate approach and wildly inventive mind, he has already started to sculpt the piece quite clearly. More specifically, the text itself stands to resonate with today's economic climate, and then some.

This accessibility is no small feat, especially since most of these characters are not the nicest of fellows. As one actor jokingly put it after an initial read through, "I get to play a dazzling array of assholes."

I'm excited to keep working. Laughter is hearty and frequent. Conversation is probing and rich. Plus, if nothing else, how many productions can say that they rehearsed sans director for their first rehearsal? It has to be less than a baker's dozen, I'm sure.

Taking on Timon

We're very excited to have launched our latest production, "Timon of Athens", which will be presented from May 19-June 13 at Midway Studios in Fort Point Channel. Part satire, part tragedy, "Timon" tackles complex themes of greed, hubris, and the power of money. Contemporary audiences will find many parallels to our current economic situation in this tale of financial management gone awry.

Rehearsals began this week and our brilliant cast is already hard at work developing their characters and shaping the interactions that will engage the audience in "Timon". Under the insightful leadership of director Bill Barclay, we've begun -scene by scene - to flesh out the production and to assess how a variety of influences, including Beckett, Kandinsky, and Brecht will help us tell the "Timon" story.

We look forward to sharing the details of our progress and hope to see you at Midway!