King Ubu
1329-1333 N. Milwaukee Chicago
Alfred Jarry's Ubu Roi was a blast of rude nihilism that tore a gaping hole in the traditions and pretensions of French theatre. When it first premiered in 1896, its opening line, (the curse/pun "merdre" instead of "merde" - usually translated as "pshitt"), prompted a miniature riot in the audience. The play was savaged by critics and worshipped by artists with equal vigor, and Jarry's work went on to be a profound and foundational influence on Apollinaire, Artaud, and Breton, among others, making him part of the great chain of anti-art that led to surrealism, dada, the Situationists, even punk rock. Ubu Roi is an enormously important work that continues to be relevant, though the fact that it's now a "classic" probably sends Jarry spinning in his grave.
Presented by The Plagiarists
Thru - Sep 28, 2013