August Strindberg told his publisher that Creditors was "humorous, loveable, all of its characters sympathetic." That may say more about Strindberg than Creditors. The play does indeed have its comic moments, but it is a humor as dark as midwinter Sweden. BroadwayWorld has a first look at Remy Bumppo Theatre Company's production below!
"Although Creditors isn't as well known as Miss Julie, Strindberg thought the two plays were his stage masterpieces," says director Sandy Shinner. "The new adaptation by David Greig brings out the humor in Creditors, not a quality usually associated with Strindberg's work."
Greig's adaptation was a huge hit recently with critics and audiences in London and New York, where the New York Times called it a "thrilling new interpretation." Remy Bumppo will be presenting its Midwest premiere.
Creditors will be performed tonight, April 10 through June 2 in the intimate upstairs studio space of the Greenhouse Theater Center, which will virtually put the audience in the set. Shinner, renowned for her work while the long-time Associate Artistic Director at Victory Gardens, says the studio is a choice Strindberg himself would have made; that in developing his theory of "modern psychological drama" Strindberg wanted "first and foremost, a small stage and a small auditorium." In the case of Creditors, Shinner says, "The audience will feel like eavesdroppers."
Creditors is set in a Swedish island resort, in the rooms of an established writer (Remy Bumppo Artistic Associate Linda Gillum) and her new young artist husband (Teatro Vista ensemble member Gabriel Ruiz, Boss's Dilip Singh). The plot begins to twist and turn with the arrival of an older second man (Chicago veteran Mark L. Montgomery, last with Remy Bumppo in Some Americans Abroad in 2004), who proceeds to deviously toy with the minds of the couple, digging into the depths of their psyches.
Amy M. Bertacini is Stage Manager for Creditors. The set is by Jeffrey W. Bauer, costumes by Jeremy Floyd, lights by Charles Cooper, sound design and composition by Christopher Kriz, and props by Julie Allen.
Performance Times: Opening Nights: Sunday, April 14 and Monday April 15 at 7:00pm; Previews and regular run: Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 2:30pm; Matinee performances (other than Sundays): 2:30pm Thursdays April 18, May 2 and May 16, Saturdays April 27 and May 11 (both Between the Lines).
Cast: Artistic Associate Linda Gillum, Mark L. Montgomery and Gabriel Ruiz.
Production team: Creditors is directed by Sandy Shinner, with scenic design by Jeffrey W. Bauer, costumes by Jeremy Floyd, sound and composing by Christopher Kriz, lighting by Charles Cooper, and properties by Julie Allen. Amy M. Bertacini is Stage Manager.
Tickets can be purchased at the Greenhouse Box Office, 773-404-7336 (open at noon Wed.-Sun.) or online at www.remybumppo.org.
Photo Credit: Johnny KnightVideos