Dutch Director Paul Binnerts Helms Brecht's 'Man is Man'

The Elephant Brigade presents a new production of Man is Man - Bertolt Brecht's searing investigation of the malleability of man in times of war and uncertainty - directed by noted Dutch director Paul Binnerts, with previews to begin December 5, prior to its official press opening on December 10 at HERE Arts Center (145 6th Avenue) in Manhattan.

"Brecht's prophetic 1926 classic Man is Man follows the transformation of Galy Gay from a naive and ignorant porter in Colonial British India into a vicious fighting machine, at the hands of a company of soldiers who need a fourth man. When Galy Gay is forced to give up his identity for that of the lost soldier, his story turns grim with unstoppable and frightening consequences," describe press notes.

Offering an unusual view on the dilemmas and cruelties of war, Binnerts' production of Man is Man is played as "real-time theater," with the actors always present on stage as themselves, in effect being themselves in the play's roles and scenes, which they re-create. For instance, in this production, the central character Galy Gay is played by a woman (Natalie Kuhn). The story unfolds in an unusual theatrical form, as the actors manipulate and film small objects and miniature set pieces, with the images then projected onto screens.

Real-time theater can be characterized by a way of acting which is simultaneously "precise and nonchalant, complex and transparent," as one Dutch theater critic put it. The actors function as intermediaries between the play and the audience. The stories they tell are about people who often find themselves in bigger-than-life situations; they are all too human stories, unbearably light, full of humor and sadness, mixing comedy with tragedy.

Binnerts is a renowned specialist of the theatre of German modernist playwright Bertolt Brecht, using "real-time" acting to give his plays "a new coat of paint." His work has been presented internationally, with performances in The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. His productions of Brecht's Fear and Misery in the Third Reich and his adaptation of Hugo Ball's Flametti have been televised in The Netherlands and Germany. In both countries, he was artistic director of a theater group. Mr. Binnerts is also the author of several plays, including The Same Sea (Allein das Meer), which was selected for the prestigious Theater Treffen in Berlin (2006). Other acclaimed works include Black Box (Bonn Biennale of New European Plays, 2000) and Mephisto (Dutch Theater Festival, 2006).

The company for Man is Man includes Lauren Blumenfeld, Tristin Daley, Eric Eastman, Brandon Kyle Goodman, Natalie Kuhn, Justin Lauro, and Sarah Wood.

The production has dramaturgy by Fanneke Verhallen, scenic design by Amy Charlotte Rubin, costume design by Caleb Hammons, lighting design by Bradley King and Kevin Guzewich, sound design by Richard Kamerman, and video projections designed by Marilys Ernst.

Man is Man is being produced by Rebecca Keren Eisenstadt for The Elephant Brigade. This production is being presented through HERE's Supported Artist Program, which provides artists with subsidized space and equipment, as well as technical and administrative support.

Man is Man runs December 5-22 at HERE Arts Center (145 6th Avenue, between Spring and Broome Streets, enter on Dominick Street). Performances are Mondays and Wednesdays-Saturdays at 8:30PM and Sundays at 4PM (no performances Tuesdays).  Tickets are $18 ($15 students/seniors) and can be reserved by calling the HERE Arts Center box office at 212-352-3101 or online at www.here.org or www.theelephantbrigade.com.

Photos courtesy of Rebecca Keren: Tristin Daley (Polly Baker), Lauren Blumenfeld (Galy Gay's wife), and Brandon Kyle Goodman (Jesse Mahoney) in Man is Man at HERE Arts Center, Dec 5-22

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