Recent Masterpiece by the Iconic Peter Brook Employs Wide-Ranging Music and Signature Aesthetic to Tell Tale of Resentment and Tragedy in Apartheid-Era South Africa
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – OZ, Nashville’s groundbreaking new contemporary arts center, continues to bring the work of the world’s most-celebrated artistic innovators to the city. Midway through its highly successful inaugural season, the institution presents a production that epitomizes OZ’s unique place on the cultural landscape and its vital role in an evolving Nashville: the internationally acclaimed Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord production of The Suit, directed by the renowned theater artist Peter Brook, working with his long-term collaborator Marie-Hélène Estienne. The work will play OZ’s elegantly minimalist warehouse venue for three nights, May 22–24 (Memorial Day Weekend).
Performances will take place at 8 p.m. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased online at www.oznashville.com. The production runs 75 minutes, with no intermission. OZ is located at 6172 Cockrill Bend Circle in Nashville, TN.
Critics love The Suit:
“By the time you leave [the theater], you may feel you’ve experienced devastation by enchantment.”
—Ben Brantley, The New York Times
“Spectacular…Unforgettable…The elliptical storytelling, and the absolute control that its changes of mood exert upon the audience, feels like the product of Peter Brook’s infinite experience. This is theatre as it should be.”
—London’s Daily Telegraph
The Story
The story of The Suit centers on Philomen, a middle-class lawyer who catches his wife, Matilda in the midst of an affair. Her lover flees, leaving behind the eponymous garment of the play. As punishment, Philemon makes Matilda treat the suit as an honored guest, preparing meals for it, entertaining it and taking it out for walks as a constant reminder of her adultery.
Based on South African writer Can Themba’s powerful novella, and adapted for the stage by Mothobi Mutloatse and Barney Simon of Johannesburg’s Market Theatre, The Suit is a poignant, music-filled tale of marital betrayal and resentment and provides a unique perspective on apartheid-era life in South Africa. Known for his numerous landmarks of theater (from the grandiose Mahabharata to the groundbreaking Marat/Sade) and for directing films including Lord of the Flies, Brook directs the play along with longtime collaborator Marie-Hélène Estienne. Composer Franck Krawcyzk provides musical direction.
About the Artists
Canodoise Daniel “Can” Themba was born in 1924 in Marabastad, Pretoria, South Africa. After graduating with a degree in English and acquiring a teaching diploma from the University of Fort Hare, he moved to Sophiatown, Johannesburg—a vibrant multi-racial community. Themba then worked as a reporter and an editor at Drum magazine, after winning a short story competition. He worked alongside other aspiring black journalists who came to be known as the “Drum Boys.” These included Lewis Nkosi, Nat Nakasa, Bloke Modisane, and Es’kia Mphahlele. Themba also worked for The Golden City Post in Johannesburg. His writing, including The Suit, won several prizes, including the 1953 Drum award. Can Themba was awarded the Order of Ikhamanga in Silver for “Excellent achievement in literature, contributing to the field of journalism and striving for a just and democratic society in South Africa.”
Peter Brook was born in London in 1925. He directed his first play there in 1943. He then went on to direct over 70 productions in London, Paris and New York, including with the Royal Shakespeare Company. In 1971, he founded with Micheline Rozan the International Centre for Theatre Research in Paris and in 1974, opened its permanent base in the Bouffes du Nord Theatre. He has directed many operas and is also an author.
Peter Brook’s autobiography, Threads of Time, was published in 1998 and joins other titles including The Empty Space (1968), The Shifting Point (1987), Evoking (and Forgetting) Shakespeare (2002), There are no Secrets (1993) and With Grotowski (2009). His films include Lord of the Flies, Marat/Sade, King Lear, Moderato Cantabile, The Mahabharata and Meetings with Remarkable Men. Peter Brook, though he kept closed doors to his rehearsal room for the majority of his career, is the central subject of The Tightrope, a documentary film based on his style of direction with actors. The film was shot and directed by Brook’s son, Simon Brook and had its U.S. premiere at the Lincoln Center Film Institute on Jan 31, 2014.
Marie-Hélène Estienne began working with Peter Brook in 1974 on the casting for Timon of Athens, and consequently joined the Centre International de Créations Théâtrales (CICT) for the creation of Ubu aux Bouffes in 1977. With Brook, she co-authored L’homme qui and Je suis un phénomène shown at the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord. She wrote the French adaptation of the Can Themba’s play Le costume, and Sizwe Bansi est mort by authors Athol Fugard, John Kani and Winston Ntshona. In 2003 she wrote the French and English adaptations of Le grand inquisiteur, based on Doestoevsky’s Brothers Karamazov. She was the author of Tierno Bokar in 2005, and of the English adaptation of 11 and 12 by Amadou Hampaté Ba in 2009. Estienne co-directed with Peter Brook the production of Fragments, cinq pièces courtes de Beckett, and with composer Franck Krawczyk, she freely adapted Mozart and Schikaneder’s Die Zauberflöte into Une flûte enchantée.
Franck Krawczyk, born in 1968, started his musical training in Paris and continued in Lyon, where he currently teaches chamber music at the Conservatory (CNSMD). Very early on, Krawczyk was discovered by the Festival d’automne à Paris, and started writing several pieces for piano, cello, string quartet, ensembles and chamber choir. In 2000, he received the Prix Hervé Dugardin and the Prix de la SACEM for his orchestral piece Ruines. His subsequent collaboration with artist Christian Boltanski gave him new perspectives on his music. With lighting designer Jean Kalman, he created a dozen pieces in France and abroad in locations ranging from opera houses to spaces dedicated to contemporary art. In the meantime, he developed new forms of musical creations for various media, including theatre, readings, video, and dance. He is currently working on his third string quartet.
Credits
The Suit is a production of C.I.C.T. / Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord and a co-production with Fondazione Campania dei Festival / Napoli Teatro Festival Italia, Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, Young Vic Theatre, Théâtre de la Place – Liège, with the support of the C.I.R.T.
About OZ
As the first contemporary arts institution in the region, the arrival of OZ transforms the cultural landscape of Nashville. Through a year-round program of performing and visual arts events, OZ supports the creative explorations of leading artists from around the world and inspire curious audiences of all ages. Nashville’s Ozgener family established the non-profit OZ in the building that once housed their cigar company, C.A.O. Under their leadership, OZ has been transformed into a column-free, 10,000 square-foot performance and installation venue nestled amidst artfully landscaped grounds. In addition to presenting celebrated national and international artists, OZ serves as a catalyst for local creativity. The organization provides a platform for local artists through the monthly TNT (Thursday Night Things) series.
For more details and information, go to www.OZNashville.com
###
Media Contact: Amy A. Atkinson of Amy Atkinson Communications, Nashville PR Representative for OZ, at 615-305-8118 or Amy@AmyACommunications.com