Liars & Believers Presents WHO WOULD BE KING Who at OBERON

Liars & Believers (LAB), Boston's innovative experimental theatre company since 2010, presents the world premiere of their original production Who Would Be King, on select nights from November 5 through 22, 7:30 pm at OBERON, American Repertory Theater's second destination stage for nightlife on the fringe of Harvard Square, 2 Arrow Street, Cambridge. The production is conceived and directed by Jason Slavick, written by the LAB ensemble, with music and lyrics by Jay Mobley. Each performance is made accessible for the hearing impaired through super-title captioning. A pilot audio description program also provides accessibility to vision impaired and blind audiences at one select performance.

Violence and betrayal, angels and prophets, villains and kings...and rubber chickens. Who rises to rule and how far will the risen fall in the great clown kingdom of Who Would Be King? Liars & Believers' original epic production explores the biblical story of King Saul in high drama, swinging from absurd buffoonery to high tragedy, with kinetic physicality, silliness, swords, and a live synthwave score. Who Would Be King tells the story of a good man given an impossible task and asks, "What separates good from great, and what lies in the chasm between?"

Who Would Be King has been developed through several staged readings this year, a LAB "think tank" method to produce original and spontaneous alternative theatre. A series of readings and talk backs provides LAB the opportunity to utilize live audiences to develop their original devised productions, crystallizing a spontaneously unfolding story, evolving characters, composing music and concept on site in a mission to produce collaborative performances. The process often takes 18-months, involving countless performing and visual artists and a wide range of theatre goers.

Liars & Believers expands the language of live performance, exploring the widest variety of theatrical innovation, creating accessible, unique shows that engage meaningfully through the unexpected. Drawing on the wealth of collaborative performing and visual artists in the Boston region, LAB integrates incredible talent, striving to redefine the very meaning of theatre and its audiences. LAB produces "living" interdisciplinary works that are moving, thought provoking, sensory explosions, often resulting in creative amalgamations of movement and dance, live singing and music, puppetry, masks, clowning, and spoken word. Additionally, LAB promotes the work of local creative artists, creating a community that fosters communication and collaboration.

LAB is committed to creating an environment for making theatre that is accessible for all artists and audiences. Their mission to make the art form first and foremost a source of entertainment has allowed the team to embrace their responsibility to engage, stimulate and inspire all audiences. The artistic team's commitment to accessibility inspired the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) to honor the theatre company with an UP designation, an initiative to make Massachusetts the most arts accessible state in the nation. Each show is super-title captioned through a multi-media presentation, allowing for an entertaining experience for both Deaf and hard of hearing theatre goers. A new pilot program will allow vision impaired and blind audiences to experience the show through audio description at one select performance, a program LAB hopes to expand future productions.

Who Would Be King features a five member Boston-based cast with Veronica Barren appearing as "Dee", Jesse Garlick as "Jonny", Rebecca Lehrhoff as "Sam", Glen Moore as "Saul", and Rachel Wiese as "Agnes". Production credits include Amanda Martin as dramaturg, Kendra Bell for costumes, Ted Hewlett for fight direction, and Marc Ewart for scenic design.

Tickets for Who Would Be King range from $25 to $35, with a limited number of subsidized seats at the door for $10, thanks to the generous donations by LAB's Indiegogo supporters. LAB mailing list subscribers and social media followers can purchase tickets for $20 via email access code. For a complete performance schedule or to order tickets, please visit http://americanrepertorytheater.org/events/show/who-would-be-king-0, or call the box office is at 617-547-8300. Performances are handicap accessible. For the latest information, visit http://www.liarsandbelievers.com/ or follow Liars & Believers on Facebook and Twitter.

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