“Hungry like a Woolf”: Europe’s Angry Avante-Garde Comes to Capital Fringe
Atonin Artaud, founder of the “Theatre of Cruelty” and godfather of many of the more disturbing theatrical experiments of the past half-century, once wrote: “The race of prophets is extinct.” Perhaps if he had stuck around long enough to meet Eddie and Cass – Eastern-European enfant terribles and founders of a self proclaimed “Theatre of Self Loathing” that is burning a wide swath of creative destruction through the underground theatre scenes of cities like Minsk, Riga, and Lodz – he might have reconsidered. Or recoiled. Either way, there can be no doubt that this enigmatic duo are the bastard children of Artaud, Brecht, and Grotowski. Infamous for their iconoclastic, profane takes on the keystone works of the Western theatre canon, Blind Pug Arts Collective is proud to co-present their interpretation of Albee’s classic bourgeoise living room drama, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
As we all may recall, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company’s highly anticipated festival of contemporary Russian work this season could not withstand the political chill cast by diplomatic tensions resulting from separatist violence in Ukraine. While established institutions of theatre – both American non-profits and European state-supported companies – may flinch when faced with such political confrontation and social instability, Eddie and Cass gleefully inhabit the aesthetic cavities and moral lacunas posed by the deterioration of our late capitalist order. Their shocking, offensive and occasionally incomprehensible performances, which combine the ferocity of a Minor Threat single, the literate sarcasm of Alain Renais, and the polemical politics of Pussy Riot, has made them darlings to the bourgeoning central and Eastern European avante-garde scene and won them the 2003 CAPB award.
Blind Pug is happy to play its part in bringing The Theatre of Self Loathing to Washington, DC – we expect that a city that so haunted with symbolism, history and the excesses of political power will prove fertile ground for Eddie and Cass’ particular brand of performance. Too often we think of “European Theatre” as the domain of West End musicals and cerebral German experimentalism. But as the rising tide of political extremism on the continent has revealed, there is another Europe just beneath the veneer of liberal consensus and multicultural decadence. That Europe is young, that Europe is angry, and that Europe is very, very hungry. And through The Theatre of Self Loathing, that Europe is coming to the District. Brace yourselves.
PERFORMANCES AT:
Gallaudet University’s Eastman Studio Theatre-
800 Florida Ave NE , in Washington, DC 20002
Saturday, July 11th at 2:00 PM
Sunday, July 12th at 12:30 PM
Tuesday, July 14th at 10:00 PM
Saturday, July 18th at 7:00 PM
Thursday, July 24th at 6:00 PM
Saturday, July 26th at 1:45 PM
FOR TICKETS, CALL (866) 811-4111, OR PURCHASE THEM ONLINE.
Official Hashtags @BlindPugDC #FringeLoathing #capfringe15
