BLOODY, BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON Author Talks Bringing Politics to the Stage

Alex Timbers, author/director of the politically charged BLOODY, BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON, recently sat down with New York Times reporter Erik Piepenberg to discuss what it takes to bring politics to the stage. Timbers troupe, Les Freres Corbusier, has been performing political musicals since its inception in 2003, including A VERY MERRY UNAUTHORIZED CHILDREN'S SCIENTOLOGY PAGEANT, BOOZY, and HELL HOUSE.

In BLOODY, BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON, Timbers, along with composer Michael Friedman, take the seventh President and play him as a all-out rock star. Timbers discussed his reasons for portraying Jackson in such a way: "To me what's fascinating about Andrew Jackson is that he's the only historical figure I can think of that's gone through such a huge historic reappraisal in my lifetime. When I was in high school he was taught to be one of the great presidents. Now, when we have high school students come see the show, he's thought of as an American Hitler. He's the guy who genocided the Indians."

Timbers also discussed why his group tends to take on such politically motivated works. Timbers said he likes the cultural idea of a mash-up. " Some of our shows revisit history in contemporary terms by looking at new idioms as a fresh way to explore historical figures or canonical texts. I don't think it's cheap. There's a real populist interest in theater. We're interested in getting audiences with a certain level of showmanship."

To read the full article from the New York Times, click here.

Alex Timbers (Writer/Director) is the Artistic Director of award-winning theatre company Les Freres Corbusier. His New York credits include Guttenberg! The Musical! (Drama Desk nomination - Best Director of a Musical; the Actors' Playhouse), A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant (OBIE Award; New York Theatre Workshop; two Garland Awards - Best Director and Best Musical; Powerhouse Theatre, Santa Monica), underground (BAM; International Tour), Hell House (Drama Desk nomination - Unique Theatrical Experience; St. Ann's Warehouse), Boozy ("Ten Best of 2005" - Daily News, Time Out New York). He has participated in workshops for Disney Theatricals, Playwrights Horizons, New York Stage & Film and been honored with fellowships by the Williamstown Theatre Festival, Drama League, and Sundance Theatre Lab.

A brash indie rock musical about the country we live in and the leaders we choose. BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON audaciously redefines America's seventh president, the man who invented the Democratic Party and doubled the size of our nation, with a raucous blend of outrageous comedy, anarchic theatricality, and an infectious emo rock score.

The BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON cast features River Aguirre as Lyncoya; James Barry as Male Soloist; Michael Crane as Clay/Blackhawk; Michael Dunn as Calhoun; Greg Hildreth as Red Eagle; Jeff Hiller as John Quincy Adams; Lucas Near-Verbrugghe as Martin Van Buren; Maria Elena Ramirez as Rachel; Kate Cullen Roberts as Elizabeth; Ben Steinfeld as Monroe; Benjamin Walker as Andrew Jackson; Colleen Werthmann as The Storyteller; and Emily Young as Female Soloist.

BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON features scenic design by Donyale Werle, costume design by Emily Rebholz, lighting design by Justin Townsend, and sound design by Bart Fasbender.

All tickets for BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON are $60 with the exception of Saturday evenings, which are $70. Single tickets are on sale now at (212) 967-7555, www.publictheater.org, or in person at the Public Theater box office.

The Public Theater is located at 425 Lafayette Street. The performance schedule for BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON may be obtained at www.publictheater.org.

For more information, visit www.publictheater.org.

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