Wyrd Theatre returns with our third main stage production: Tartuffe en Burlesque! We’re stripping Moliere’s masterpiece down in every sense of the word to spotlight this hilarious sexy story of witty wives, cunning servants, oblivious parents and one man’s greed. Papists and pasties collide in our intimate yet in-your-face fusion of classic text and modern movement!
This is Wyrd Theatre’s most ambitious project to date, and one very close to our hearts. Since the inception of the company in 2013, we have endeavored to create entertaining, thought-provoking shows that subvert the expectations of classical theatre while retaining their timeless messages. In our “Titus Andronicus: A Jolly Romp Through Rome,” Shakespeare’s grisly tragedy became a dark comedy when put into the hands of our “travelling circus.” “Cymbeline: A Party In Pentameter” introduced original music and songs to highlight the mad musicality of the Bard’s dream play.
Now, Wyrd Theatre is branching out – not just by adding Moliere and his Comedies of Manners to our repertoire, but by making dance and movement (specifically, classic burlesque!) a major element of this production. While Moliere’s “Tartuffe” was originally written as a satirical take on religious hypocrisy, a second look reveals the themes of truth and falsehood, words versus deeds, and how the socially silenced make their voices heard running through the text. Through movement, dance, and passages in the original French, “Tartuffe en Burlesque” seeks to demonstrate that while words dissemble, the body doesn’t lie…
We are seeking your patronage in bringing “Tartuffe en Burlesque” to life! Where do your donations go, you might ask? Excellent question! In descending order of importance and dissemination:
1. Stipends for the cast and crew
– It is of primary importance to Wyrd Theatre that all actors and crew members* are remunerated in some way for their work on our productions. Acting and stagecraft are skills, and working on a show in any way is… well, it’s work. The time and effort of the cast and crew deserve the respect, and while we do not possess the resources to offer a living wage, we make it a point and our principal budgetary concern to provide as sizable a stipend as is feasible.
(*Please note that company co-founders Arielle Chernoff-Harding and Courtney Connolly will often fill one or more administrative and/or creative role over the course of the production. They do not receive a stipend for any / all positions filled, and they are not, nor have they ever been, salaried by this organization.)
2. Theater & Rehearsal Space
– After stipends, funds are applied to the rental and booking fees for the theater in which the show is held, and for rehearsal space prior to opening.
3. Props & Costumes
– At Wyrd Theatre, we take great pride in our ability to re-purpose, borrow, or craft the majority of the props and costumes for our shows from resources already at our disposal, allowing us to keep production costs to a minimum. However, when there’s a costume piece we can’t create in-house, or raw materials are needed, a portion of the show budget is allotted to procuring these.
4. Media & Advertising
– Though most announcements and advertisements for upcoming shows are published and available online, any printed media (posters, postcards, flyers) is covered here.
We are so thrilled (and a little amazed!) to be on the verge of our third mainstage production. We could not have come this far without our brilliant casts, incredibly industrious crews, and of course, the generous support of patrons like yourself. We do this because we love theatre, and we want to share that love with you.
Thank you!
– Courtney