NOLA Project & NOMA to Present ROBIN HOOD: THIEF, BRIGAND

This spring, the New Orleans Museum of Art and the NOLA Project present their ninth collaboration, giving new life to a classic story in the New Orleans Museum of Art's (NOMA) Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden. In May, the award-winning, independent theatre company will transform the garden into Sherwood Forest in "Robin Hood: Thief, Brigand." "As a nexus for the arts in New Orleans, NOMA is committed to offering multiple arts experiences for the community," comments Susan M. Taylor, The Montine McDaniel Freeman Director, on the ongoing relationship with the NOLA Project. "Our gifted performing arts partners have created extraordinary opportunities for the public to enjoy theater and experience NOMA in new ways. Our ninth collaboration is sure to excite audiences as the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden is transformed into Sherwood Forrest for the production of 'Robin Hood: Thief, Brigand'."

The script is a brand new adaptation of the Robin Hood tale, written by New Orleans playwright Andrew Vaught, and commissioned by the NOLA Project. The production, directed by company member Beau Bratcher, features two NOLA Project company members in lead roles: James Bartelle as the charismatic Robin Hood and Alex Martinez Wallace (who recently won a Big Easy Entertainment Award for his portrayal of McMurphy in this season's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest") as the villainous King John.

The script, a timely tale considering our nation's growing class inequality, follows Robin and his band of Merry Men who accidentally intercept a chest full of 100,000 gold coins on its way to France. What they believe to be a great bounty stolen from the land's wealthiest citizens turns out, in fact, to be a ransom payment for King Richard who is imprisoned in France while on a religious crusade. Robin and his men distribute the stolen gold to the land's poor, but when Richard's brother, the oppressive King John, finds out that the land's poorest citizens are quickly becoming distinctly Middle-Class, he is incensed and vows to destroy the man they call Robin Hood. "I wanted to explore the poetry of the English language and use common and uncommon words to create a unique imagery that allowed for a heightened reality within the world of a play," says playwright, Andrew Vaught. "I like sword fights, villains who are not afraid to be villains, and heroes who have something wrong with them."

This witty, fun, and adventurous new adaptation of the classic Robin Hood legend is sure to please all ages.

For the past four years, innovative productions in the Besthoff Sculpture Garden such as "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "Much Ado About Nothing," and last year's immersive staging of "Adventures in Wonderland" have proven to be an incredibly popular and much-anticipated annual theatrical event in the city. Much like the other creative outdoor productions, "Robin Hood: Thief, Brigand" will utilize the unique setting of the sculpture garden combined with a large cast of over twenty professional actors to bring to life a production that occurs, in front of, behind, and all around the audience. NOLA Project Artistic Director, AJ Allegra is excited to get audiences thinking about a serious issue with an approachable story: "Following our extremely successful adaptation of Lewis Carroll's 'Wonderland' books for the garden last year, I am eager to tackle another exciting new adaptation in 'Robin Hood'. I believe audiences young and old are going to have a swashbuckling and thought-provoking time at 'Robin Hood: Thief, Brigand'."

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