Invulnerable Nothings Brings Howard Brenton's BLOODY POETRY and The (un)Staged Reading Series to The Sekrit Theater

After a sold out residency at The Brooklyn Art Library in August 2016, INVULNERABLE NOTHINGS presents Howard Brenton's BLOODY POETRY in rep with (un)Staged Readings from Lord Byron's CAIN, Percy Bysshe Shelley's PROMETHEUS UNBOUND, and Mary Shelley's FRANKENSTEIN at The Sekrit Theater from April 21-April 30, 2017.

This 12 performance Austin run in advance of the show's upcoming European tour will provide crucial research support through The Harry Ransom Center's original manuscript holdings from Byron and the Shelleys, and is presented in a site specific staging around The Sekrit's glass and metal greenhouse. This will be the final public event held at Beau Reichert's legendary Austin space, yet another casualty of the city's ongoing arts venue crisis.

BLOODY POETRY concerns the wild historical dramas and ménage à quatre of Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary Shelley, Lord Byron, and Claire Clairmont from the summer of 1816 until Shelley's death in the summer of 1822. INVULNERABLE NOTHINGS' highly interactive staging of Brenton's play is produced through Samuel French and designed for small audiences in intimate, nontraditional theatre spaces. BLOODY POETRY is matched in rep to an experimental reading series which features selections from Lord Byron's CAIN and Shelley's PROMETHEUS UNBOUND, closet dramas whose production is expressly forbidden by their authors. These (un)staged readings seek to preserve the unique formal qualities of the plays while involving their texts in a theatrically animating process: an 'audience' gathers together to silently perform mental stagings of the playscripts, the works remaining unvoiced but communally accessible through text and original live music. BLOODY POETRY functions as a fully realised theatrical counterpoint to the (un)Staged Reading Series and explores these writers' living mythologies. CAIN and PROMETHEUS UNBOUND are joined by selections from Mary Shelley's seminal novel FRANKENSTEIN at its 200th anniversary, alternatively presented with spoken selections performed by the cast and underscored with live music. In 2017, the show tours in Austin TX, Bristol UK, Bath UK, and Avignon France before returning to New York.

BLOODY POETRY is directed by Matthew Gasda with Melissa Nelson. Lighting is by Joseph Medeiros with Anthony Delluva. The environmental set design is by Beau Reichert, with sound design by Joe Reynolds and costume design by Melissa Nelson. The cast features Charlie Munn* as Percy Bysshe Shelley, Kristin Winters* as Mary Shelley, C.C. Kellogg as Claire Clairmont, Vincent Van Santvoord as George the Lord Byron, Nico Bonacci as Dr. William Polidori, and Lauren Guglielmello as Harriet Westbrook (*appearing courtesy of AEA). The (un)Staged Reading Series was conceived by C.C. Kellogg with the help of the cast and creative team.

Special thanks to Lindsea Bevington,Jacqueline Brockel, The Brooklyn Art Library, Fractured Atlas, The Harry Ransom Center, Caludia Johnson, Anya Klepikov, The Metier Foundation, The Morgan Library, Marissa Passi, Steven Peterman, Beau Reichert, Tate Rehklau, The Sekrit Theater, Jordan Tiberio, Tim Vasen, and Susan J. Wolfson.

Invulnerable Nothings is an internationally minded theatre collective and producing partnership committed to poetic language in performance, radically flat collaborative structures, the theatrical activation of research and library centers, and breakfast tacos. Go to www.invulnerablenothings.com for more information.

The Sekrit Theater is a statement of community, beauty, independence, self reliance, and what Austin used to be. Opening in 2007, The Sekrit quickly became one of the premier flexible purpose independent arts venues in Texas. 1145 Perry Rd, Austin, TX 78721

Showtimes are Friday April 21 at 8pm (BLOODY POETRY); Saturday April 22 8pm (The (un)Staged Reading Series); Sunday April 23 8pm (BLOODY POETRY); Monday April 24 8pm (BLOODY POETRY); Wednesday April 26 3pm (The (un)Staged Reading Series); Wednesday April 26 8pm (BLOODY POETRY); Thursday April 27 8pm (BLOODY POETRY); Friday April 28 8pm (BLOODY POETRY); Saturday April 29 3pm (The (un)Staged Reading Series); Saturday April 29 8pm (BLOODY POETRY); Sunday April 30 3pm (The (un)Staged Reading Series); and Sunday April 30 8pm (BLOODY POETRY).

To book tickets, visit artful.ly/invulnerablenothings.

To post a comment, you must register and login.