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"This is an uncommonly, even
dizzyingly daring, thought-provoking, and entertaining 100
minutes of theatre."
- Chicago Reader
More Press |
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Anne DeAcetis and Mark St. Amant (foreground)
and Doran Schranz and David Divita (background) dance a tango
choreographed by Ginger Farley.
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Anne DeAcetis, as Agnes, in front of a
3 ft. by 4 ft. light box. Transparent images, depicting evidence
both proving and refuting the existence of the mustache,
were affixed to the light box at various points throughout
the show.
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The Mustache
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The tub, in which “M” shaves
off his mustache at the top of the show, later
become the ferry he compulsively rides back
and forth from Hong Kong to Kowloon. Pictured
are Mark St. Amant as “M” (in the
tub), Eva Yusa, and Eddie Shin.
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Based on the novel by Emmanuel Carrère
Adapted and Directed by Katie Taber
Athenaeum Studio Theatre, Chicago
December 1999 – January 2000
About the Text:
The Mustache, a short novel by contemporary French author
Emmanuel Carrère, was first published in 1986.
It recounts the chilling and ultimately heart-breaking tale
of a man who, on a whim, decides to shave off his mustache.
This flip decision sets off a gradual descent into madness
as his wife and colleagues not only fail to notice the change
in his appearance, but insist that he never had a mustache
in the first place.
The only other work of Carrère's that is available
in English is the 1997 novel Class Trip. Prior to D13's
Production none of his work had been adapted for the stage.
We were honored to receive the adaptation rights and be entrusted
to expose a new audience to Carrère's work.
About the Production:
The story of The Mustache begins in an affluent district of
Paris, where the protagonist "M" and his wife, "Agnes,"
comfortably tend to their bourgeois lives. After "M"
shaves off his mustache and his life begins to unravel, he
flees to Hong Kong, where he becomes quickly overwhelmed by
the chaos of the city's street life and the confusion in his
own mind. He soon finds himself riding a ferryboat back
and forth across the canal between Hong Kong and Kowloon,
with the ferry's peace and predictability providing a tonic
to his riddled mind. The story ends in Macao, where "M"
retreats to a tropical hotel to drink "vino verde,"
float on the waves, and release his tenuous grip on reality.
In order to create a world where nothing could be trusted,
not even what the audience has witnessed with their own eyes,
the production aggressively blended the real and the surreal
in both design elements and performance style. Artistic Director
Joanna Settle, creating the mise-en-scène , designed
a constantly evolving environment full of visual surprises.
Tightly woven sound, lights, and choreography drove the production
which featured Mark St. Amant as "M" and Anne DeAcetis
as his wife. Four additional cast members portrayed all the
secondary characters.
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Program Information:
Set and Lighting Design: Joanna Settle
Costume Design: Melanie Parks-Baumgartner
Sound Design: Mike Frank
Choreography: Ginger Farley
Production Manager: Alexandra Blunt
Stage Manager: Jenn Henderson
Assistant Director and Dramaturg: Tricia Van Eck
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Cast:
Anne DeAcetis (Agnes)
David Divita (Chorus)
Eddie Shin (Chorus)
Doran Schranz (Chorus)
Mark St. Amant (M)
Eva Yusa (Chorus)
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Production Staff:
Technical Director and Assistant Set Design: Justin Bremen
Publicity Director: Karin McKie
Master Electrician and Assistant Lighting Design: Eric
Appleton
Assistant Sound Design: Bob Blonski
Assistant Stage Manager: Tristan Brandon
Light Board Operator: Trey Maclin
Sound Operator: Michael Kass
Graphic Design and Photography: Mike Henry
Other Crew: Trish Page, Harry Eddleman, Alex Douglas, Diantha
Bovie, Kelly Cooper, Jan John Kordylewski, Bridget Kies,
Chris Morrison, Tom Duncan, Jana Stauffer, Chris Conry,
and Chris Maag
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