With four shows left in Molotov Theatre Group’s Helen Hayes Awards Recommended© production of Normal you can also learn more about Germany’s nefarious Dusseldorf Ripper in a screening of Fritz Lang’s classic movie “M” on April 3 rd at 7 PM.
That’s when Goethe-Institute, the Washington Film Institute and Molotov Theatre Group will host a panel discussion about German Expressionism and the Grand Guignol theatrical style of horror. The evening is capped off with a screening of “M,” starring Peter Lorre, which is based on the life of Peter Kurten – the serial killer who also is the subject of Molotov’s current production of Normal.
A reception follows the April 3 screening.
Attendees must RSVP on Eventbrite.
The screening of Lang’s “M,” to be held at Goethe-Institut -, 812 7th St NW, in Washington, DC 20001, is the first collaboration among Goethe-Institut Washington, the Washington Film Institute and Molotov Theatre Group.
As the co-founder and president of Molotov Theatre Group, I will be discussing the film with Kerstin Gaddy, Ph.D., Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Programs, School of Arts and Sciences, the Catholic University of America. Moderating the discussion will be Jay Brock, Clinical Assistant Professor, the Catholic University of America. Mr. Brock directed Molotov’s critically acclaimed production of Normal.
In co-hosting this film screening, Molotov is working to expand its audience beyond the typical theatre-goer, embracing fans of film and the horror genre in general.
Film enthusiasts should definitely learn more about Grand Guignol, the French school of reality-based horror theatre popular from the late 1890s to the early 1960s. By the time of the filming of “M” in 1930, the Grand Guignol style had spread to many countries in Europe. There are numerous echoes of that style in “M,” just as there are in countless even more contemporary films. Understanding the influence of Grand Guignol on cinema history is valuable to a better appreciation of the Fritz Lang’s film and horror cinema overall.
And if you haven’t had time to see Molotov’s Normal, you still have four chances before the April 3rd film screening. (Remember, Molotov Theatre Group’s critically hailed production is also based on the life of Peter Kurten, the central character in Lang’s movie “M”).
Normal, features Brian McDermott, Elizabeth Darby and Alex Zavistovich, and runs through March 30th at DCAC in Adams Morgan.
Normal plays through March 30, 2013, at the DC Arts Center – 2438 18th Street, NW, in Adams Morgan, in Washington, DC. Every Thursday is Pay-What-You-Can. Tickets can be purchased online.
LINKS
Review of Normal by John Stoltenberg.
Behind the Scenes at “Normal” Part 1: A Molotov Show without Blood? Behind the Grand Guignol Scenes of ‘Normal’ by Alex Zavistovich.
Behind the Scenes at “Normal” Part 2: Brian McDermott: ‘Bow Ties and Other Knotty Problems’ by Brian McDermott.
Behind the Scenes at “Normal” Part 3: Behind the Scenes at Molotov’s “Normal”: Part 3: Elizabeth Darby: ‘On Being in Love with a Monster.’
Behind the Scenes at Molotov’s “Normal”: Part 4: The Sounds of Horror: The Music of ‘Normal’ By Gregory Thomas Woolford Martin.
