American Premiere of LIFE & TIMES OF MICHAEL K is Coming to St. Ann's Warehouse

St. Ann's Warehouse will present the American Premiere of Life & Times of Michael K, the Baxter Theatre Centre / Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus puppet theater production that took Edinburgh by storm this summer, earning six five-star reviews.

 

The adaptation of J.M. Coetzee's 1983 award-winning novel by South African director Lara Foot with the Tony Award-winning Handspring Puppet Company (War Horse, Little Amal) comes to St. Ann's waterfront home next month, having won the Scotsman Fringe First Award and being deemed “the standout Fringe show” by The New York Times.

 

Life & Times of Michael K is the hauntingly beautiful story of a simple man who embarks on a journey through South Africa, ravaged by civil war, to return his mother to die on the farm where she was born. He finds strength in his own humanity, his profound connection to the earth, and his unique path, which, as it unfolds, reveals to him his reason for living. Michael becomes a metaphor for the earth itself—mistreated and neglected in times of political tumult, but gentle and generous in spirit.

 

Author Nadine Gordimer wrote of Coetzee's novel, “Beyond all creeds and moralities, this work of art asserts, there is only one: to keep the earth alive, and only one salvation, the survival that comes from her.”

 

Lara Foot has written that Coetzee's use of “layer upon layer of metaphor, poetry and meaning…lends itself beautifully to a multi-disciplinary style of theater.” She and her collaborators have adapted the novel into a poignant live production, employing a rich combination of theatrical elements. Dance, film, and music give the production an epic scale, as Michael treks across an unforgiving landscape. And Handspring's extraordinary puppetry lends the work a heightened magical realism, imbuing the tale with a light touch of hope and resilience.

 

When Life & Times of Michael K made its world premiere at Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus as part of the Theater der Welt festival in 2021, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung called it “a brilliant Coetzee adaptation” and a “spectacular evening of theater.” When the production played the Galway International Arts Festival in July, The Guardian awarded it four stars and described it as “exquisite” and “majestic,” and The Irish Times, in another four-star review, wrote, “The structure, mobility and facial subtlety of Handspring's amazingly crafted puppets of Michael and his mother are outstanding…This is magic realism, and magical staging.” Reviewing the production in the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, The Scotsman, in a five-star review, said: “Among all the teeming possibilities of the 21st century Fringe, there is still the occasional show that somehow feels like the year's main event, the one every Fringe-goer should not miss. Life & Times of Michael K is one of those shows.” British Theatre Guide agreed, calling the production “one of the high points of the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.”

 

The Life & Times of Michael K creative team includes Lara Foot (adaptor, writer, director), Handspring Puppet Company (adaptors, puppet directors, designers and makers), Patrick Curtis (set design), Kyle Shepherd (original music composition), Joshua Cutts (lighting design), Fiona McPherson and Barrett de Kock (directors of photography and film), Yoav Dagan (videography and editing), Kirsti Cumming (projection design), Phyllis Midlane (costume design),  and Simon Kohler (sound design).

 

The cast comprises nine celebrated South African performers led by the alchemical puppet master Craig Leo with puppeteers Roshina Ratnam and Markus Schabbing and actors Sandra Prinsloo, Andrew Buckland/ Wessel Pretorius, Faniswa Yisa, Carlo Daniels, Billy Langa, and Nolufefe Ntshuntshe.

 

Basil Jones (Little Amal, War Horse), Co-Founder and Executive Producer of Handspring, says, “Creating Michael K and presenting his life has led Handspring into the very heart of what puppets are, what they can and can't do. We have taken risks and challenged some of the ‘principles of puppetry' that we've developed over the course of our career. What is the relationship between the self and its prosthesis? To what extent does the puppet's life reside in its manipulators? …How can a puppet — an object so obviously controlled by others — become a symbol of independence? All questions that are exciting to be entertaining as we celebrate Handspring's 40th year as a company.”

 

Life & Times of Michael K is the latest in a history of unforgettable Edinburgh Festival shows that St. Ann's Warehouse has introduced to American audiences, including National Theatre of Scotland's Black Watch, Yael Farber's Mies Julie, Enda Walsh's The Walworth Farce and New Electric Ballroom, Kae Tempest's Brand New Ancients, The Patient Gloria, numerous delicious works by Daniel Kitson, and more. The production reunites St. Ann's Warehouse with both the Baxter Theatre Center and Handspring Puppet Company. The Baxter was the producer of the blistering Mies Julie and The Fall, which made their American Premieres at St. Ann's in 2012 and 2018, respectively. Handspring, Tony winners for War Horse, are also the genius creators of Amal, currently on a journey across the United States, following last year's epic Little Amal Walks NYC, produced by St. Ann's Warehouse and The Walk Productions.

 

About J.M. Coetzee (Author)

 

JM Coetzee is an environmentalist who was born in Cape Town in 1940 and educated at the University of Cape Town and in the United States. He is one of the very few people who has won the Booker Prize twice, as well as the Nobel Prize. He currently lives in Australia.

 

About Lara Foot (Adaptor, Writer, Director)

 

Lara Foot is a multi-award-winning playwright, director and producer. She is the CEO and artistic director of the Baxter Theatre Centre at the University of Cape Town; a former Rolex protégé to Sir Peter Halll; and a Sundance Fellow. In 2005, she became the Resident Director and Dramaturg at the Baxter until 2007. In 2010, she became the first woman to be appointed as the organization's CEO and Artistic Director.

 

With a passion for the development of new work and young writers and directors, she has directed over 50 professional productions, 40 of which have been new South African plays.

Since heading up the Baxter she has, together with a dynamic team, transformed the Zabalaza Theatre Festival to become recognised as one of the most vital platforms of its kind in South Africa. In August 2017, she achieved the rare distinction of taking six Baxter Theatre Centre productions to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

 

In 2016, Foot was the Featured Artist at the 43rd National Arts Festival, two decades after she was selected as the Standard Young Artist for Drama. Her own plays include Tshepang, Hear And Now, Reach, Karoo Moose, Solomon and Marion (all published by Oberon Books), Fishers of Hope, and The Inconvenience of Wings, all of which have won awards and have had successful international tours. She is executive producer of the internationally acclaimed production Mies Julie. She directed Marc Lottering's hit productions Aunty Merle, The Musical and Aunty Merle it's a Girl.

 

Foot wrote and co-directed (with Gerhard Marx) the short film And There in the Dust, winning five international and two Golden Horn awards and was selected to be part of the Sundance Film Writer's Lab in 2007 and the Sundance Film Director's Lab in 2008.

In 2021 Lara was honored with The International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) 2023 International Citation of Merit Recipient award. After the premiere of Life & Times of Michael K in 2021, Foot returned to the Düsseldorf Schauspielhaus to direct a hugely successful African Othello.

About Handspring Puppet Company

 

Founded by Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones (with Jill Joubert and Jon Weinberg) in 1981, Handspring Puppet Company continues to explore, innovate and push the boundaries of puppetry and contemporary performance. Deeply inspired by traditional puppetry – such as the Bunraku puppeteers of Japan and the Bamana puppeteers of Mali – Handspring fuses ancient craft, technical innovation and modern dramatic themes. Over four decades, the company has collaborated with world-renowned artists, directors, musicians, actors and theater groups performing in 295 cities in 30 countries.

 

Over the past 30 years, Handspring Puppet Company participated in the creation of over 16 theater productions. Although the company has done some work for young audiences and for television, the majority of the work produced since 1986 has been adult theatre. These include Little Amal, Life & Times of Michael K, Il Ritorno d'Ulisse, Midsummer Night's Dream (Bristol Old Vic 2013), Or You Could Kiss Me, War Horse, Tall Horse, Ubu and the Truth Commission, Midsummer Night's Dream, Faustus in Africa and Woyzeck on the Highveld.

 

About Baxter Theatre Centre

 

The Baxter Theatre Centre is known to be one of the most vibrant and multicultural hubs in the arts and entertainment on the African continent. Over the past four decades, the theatre has continued to provide a platform for young, vibrant and talented artists that have brought new and inspiring works in drama, dance and music.

Designed by Jack Barnett, the theatre opened its doors to all on 1 August 1977. It came into being as the result of a bequest from the late Dr W. Duncan Baxter who, in his will, bequeathed an amount of money to the University of Cape Town for the purpose of establishing a theatre which would, in the words of Dr Baxter, “develop and cultivate the arts in Cape Town and the adjacent districts”.

Since its opening in 1977 the complex has continued to provide a stage for all types of professional entertainment – music, drama, ballet, opera and intimate theatre. The theatre endeavors to present and host the best of South African performing arts with the objective of reflecting the cultures of all the people of South Africa on its stages, foyers and galleries. It envisages a vibrant cultural center and strives to present, not only cutting edge and socially challenging works, but also to foster and develop an ongoing relationship with the local and university communities.

The Baxter strives to present cutting-edge and major works from South Africa and masterpieces from the international repertoire. The theater continues to nurture and grow significant works and inspiring talent in the South African performing arts and entertainment sector and broaden access to audiences in and around Cape Town, making it a true expression of the soul of this nation.

Even through the difficult years of racial segregation, its doors remained open to everyone, and it thrived, drawing on indigenous talent and creating a uniquely South African theater tradition. The Baxter was the first theater to stage an interracial kiss—in one of their earliest productions: Miss Julie in 1985, starring John Kani and Sandra Prinsloo.

Located at the foot of the University of Cape Town, The Baxter is home to a world-class theater and concert hall, a studio stage, rehearsal rooms, offices, a restaurant and bars as well as a spacious grand foyer designed in exceptional modernity.

www.baxter .co.za

 

About Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus

 

Through its productions and all the people who work there, the Dusseldorfer Schauspielhaus addresses the entire city in all its multiplicity, in an active effort to promote openness and diversity, dialogue and reflection. Mobile productions transport theater to many different locations in the city, discussion formats such as the Citizens' Dinner invite a broad cross-section of people to come together for peaceful yet controversial debate and Cafe Eden uses artistic means to search for a common language for the many issues within a diverse city society. The Burgerbuhne puts the stories of Dusseldorf residents of all generations, social classes and communities on the stages of our theater. And our collaborations with independent companies, initiatives from civil society, charities and—last but by no means least—numerous International Artists connect the Dusseldorfer Schauspielhaus with its many partners both in Dusseldorf and around the globe. It is the largest producer of spoken theater in North Rhine-Westphalia. It is divided into three sections – the Schauspielhaus, Junges Schauspiel and Burgerbuhne – and has a full-time ensemble of 40 actors, supplemented by regular guests, and a total of 350 full-time employees. Its principal venue is the recently renovated and modernized Schauspielhaus on Gustaf-Grundgens- Platz, whose curved white structure designed by Bernhard Pfau is one of Dusseldorf's leading architectural landmarks. Other venues include the Central rehearsal center next to the main station, the Junge Schauspiel on Munsterstrase, the Burgerbuhne center on Ronsdorfer Strase plus other locations across the city. With over 900 performances a year, 30 new productions plus repertoire, during the 2018 / 19 season it reached a total audience of around 240.000.

 

www.dhause.de

 

About St. Ann's Warehouse

 

St. Ann's Warehouse plays a vital role on the global cultural landscape as an American artistic home for international companies of distinction, American avant-garde masters and talented emerging artists ready to work on a grand scale. St. Ann's signature flexible, open space allows artists to stretch, both literally and imaginatively, enabling them to approach work with unfettered creativity, knowing that the theater can be adapted to suit their needs.

 

In the heart of Brooklyn Bridge Park, St. Ann's Warehouse is a spectacular waterfront theater that opened in October 2015. The new Joseph S. and Diane H. Steinberg Theater offers St. Ann's signature versatility and grandeur on an amplified scale while respecting the walls of an original 1860's Tobacco Warehouse. The building complex includes a Studio for smaller-scale events and community uses, a welcoming foyer/exhibit space, and The Max Family Garden, designed by landscape architects Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates and open to Brooklyn Bridge Park visitors during Park hours.

 

Over four decades of consistently acclaimed landmark productions have found their American heart and home at St. Ann's, including Lou Reed's and John Cale's Songs for ‘Drella; Marianne Faithfull's Breaking Away and Seven Deadly Sins; Artistic Director Susan Feldman's Band in Berlin; Charlie Kaufman and the Coen Brothers' Theater of the New Ear; The Royal Court and TR Warszawa productions of Sarah Kane's 4:48 Psychosis; The Globe Theatre of London's Measure for Measure with Mark Rylance; Druid Company's The Walworth Farce, The New Electric Ballroom and Penelope by Enda Walsh and the Landmark / Galway International Arts Festival Productions of Walsh's Misterman, featuring Cillian Murphy, Ballyturk and Arlington (Murphy also featured in Max Porter's Grief Is the Thing with Feathers, directed by Walsh); Lou Reed's Berlin; National Theater of Scotland's Black Watch and Let the Right One In; Kneehigh Theatre's Brief Encounter, 946, Tristan & Yseult; Yael Farber's Mies Julie and The Gate Theatre Dublin's acclaimed Hamlet, featuring Ruth Negga; Dmitry Krymov Lab's Opus No. 7; The Donmar Warehouse all-female Shakespeare Trilogy directed by Phyllida Lloyd; Kae Tempest's Brand New Ancients; The Kiln's Red Velvet, the Young Vic production of A Streetcar Named Desire with Gillian Anderson; Mark Rylance's Nice Fish, National Theatre's People, Places & Things, and the World Premiere and one-time-only, 24-hour marathon of Taylor Mac's A 24 Decade History of Popular Music in 2016. St. Ann's has championed such artists as The Wooster Group, Mabou Mines, Jeff Buckley, Daniel Kitson, Emma Rice's Kneehigh and new company, Wise Children, Hal Willner's multi-artist tribute concerts, and an historic David Bowie concert in 2002. Prior to the pandemic, St. Ann's produced a reimagined Oklahoma! directed by Daniel Fish, in association with the Bard Fisher Center and co-producer Eva Price, which went on to win the 2019 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical and an Olivier Award (it has since toured America, London's Young Vic, and the West End); and an astonishing play about refugees, The Jungle, a Good Chance Theatre co-production with London's National Theatre and Young Vic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, St. Ann's reconfigured its facade and rooftop balconies for public art presentations of music and visual art, bringing artists back to work and offering its arches, walls and lightboxes to BIPOC artists such as Supremacy Project, committed to ending violence through art.

 

St. Ann's highly successful 2022-23 season included Little Amal Walks NYC, a citywide festival of welcome on behalf of refugee children worldwide, co-produced with The Walk Productions; the return of The Jungle; Gina Moxley's punk-propelled feminist satire The Patient Gloria; Emma Rice's Wuthering Heights; and Mira Nair's Monsoon Wedding, the Musical, adapted from her landmark film.

 

St. Ann's Warehouse is located in Brooklyn Bridge Park at 45 Water Street|DUMBO|Brooklyn, NY 11201.

 

www.stannswarehouse.org

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