Photo Coverage: GARDEN OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS Opens at the Minetta Lane

Visionary director Martha Clarke brings Hieronymus Bosch's provocative painting to life in Garden of Earthly Delights, exploring heaven, hell, and the beauty and sins amid. The production began performances Saturday, November 8 at Off-Broadway's Minetta Lane Theatre, 18 Minetta Lane. 

The limited 12-week engagement officially opened Wednesday, November 19^th. BroadwayWorld took a trip downtown to take in the art filled opening night.

Almost 25 years after Garden of Earthly Delights premiered; Martha Clarke is reinventing her creation, continuing to blur the lines between theater, dance, art, and music to create a world of her own.  An inspired synthesis of visual and performing magic, this breathtaking flight of imaginative genius is sexy, evocative, and unlike anything you've ever seen on stage.  Using state-of-the-art aerial devices created by the "Flying by Foy" workshop, Martha Clarke takes you on a journey from creation through Eden, earthly existence, damnation and redemption.  Garden of Earthly Delights is back in New York for the first time since the revolutionary production premiered at St. Clement's in November, 1984 and then to huge acclaim in a groundbreaking run at the Minetta Lane Theatre in 1987. 

The original production was honored with a Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience, an Obie Award for Richard Peaslee's original score, and a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for choreography.

Conceived, directed, and choreographed by Martha Clarke, Garden of Earthly Delights features Sophie Bortolussi, Benjamin G. Bowman, Daniel Clifton, Marjorie Folkman, General McArthur Hambrick, Whitney V. Hunter, Gabby Malone, Jennifer Nugent, Matt Rivera, Jenny Sandler, Isadora Wolfe; with musicians Wayne Hankin (winds), Egil Rostad (cello) and Arthur Solari (music director, percussion).  Original Score by Richard Peaslee who received an Obie Award for Garden of Earthly Delights; Set and Lighting Design by Christopher Akerlind; Costume Design by Jane Greenwood; State-of-the-art flying devices created by the "Flying by Foy" workshop.  

Garden of Earthly Delights is produced by Rhoda Herrick, the Artistic/Producing Director of South Ark Stage which is currently producing a chamber musical, The Black Monk, starring Austin Pendleton at the Samuel Beckett Theater on Theatre Row.

Garden of Earthly Delights will play the following schedule at the Minetta Lane Theatre (18 Minetta Lane): Tuesday at 7pm, Wednesday - Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 3pm and 8pm, and Sunday at 3pm and 7pm.  Tickets are $40.00 - $69.50 and may be purchased by visiting Ticketmaster.com or phoning 212 307-4100.  Premium seats are available for $110.00; Same day rush tickets are available at the box office for $25.00 during previews and $30.00 after opening.  For more information, visitwww.GardenOfEarthlyDelightsNYC.com.

Photos by Peter James Zielinski

The Garden of Earthly Delights at the Minetta Lane Theater

Curtain Call

The company of The Garden of Earthly Delights

The company of The Garden of Earthly Delights

The company of The Garden of Earthly Delights with Martha Clarke

Director and Choreographer Martha Clarke

Martha Clarke is joined by Lighting Designer Richard Ackerlind, Costume Designer Jane Greenwood, and Composer Richard Peaslee

Richard Peaslee and Martha Clarke

Richard Peaslee, Martha Clarke, and Jane Greenwood

Producer Rhoda Herrick, David Grausman, Martha's son and Martha Clarke

Martha Clarke and the company of Garden of Earthly Delights