Curio Theatre Company to Present THE COMPLETE DEATHS Beginning in March

The West Philly mainstay will bring audiences into the off-the-wall comedy of Spymonkey's The Complete Deaths, all 75 onstage deaths from William Shakespeare performed in a wild, fast-paced, physically comedic ride. The Complete Deaths runs March 9-April 1. Opening Night is Saturday, March 11 at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $20 during previews and $30 for the rest of the run. Discounts are available for students and seniors. The show runs Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m. with two 3 p.m. matinees on Saturday, March 18 and Saturday April 1. All performances are in Curio's resident black box theater located inside Calvary Center for Culture and Community at 4740 Baltimore Ave. Tickets and more information are available at www.curiotheatre.org. Masks are required at this time.

Following their hit run of Spymonkey's Oedipussy, Curio returns to the UK company's work. This time, Curio takes on Spymonkey's fabulously hilarious Shakespearian bloodbath! All 74 onstage Shakespearean deaths in 90 minutes - 75 if you count the ill-favored fly killed in Titus Andronicus. Roman suicides in Julius Caesar, the death fall of Prince Arthur in King John, the carnage at the end of Hamlet, snakes in a basket in Antony & Cleopatra, Pyramus and Thisbe, young Macduff! Countless stabbings, severed heads, poisonings, mobbings and a smothering - hell, Enorbarbus just sits in a ditch and dies from grief. And don't get us started about the pie that Titus serves the Queen of the Goths! The Complete Deaths was first presented as a Spymonkey co-production with Brighton Festival and Royal & Derngate, Northampton in 2016.

The Complete Deaths is written and adapted by Tim Crouch. It was created by Tim Crouch & Spymonkey : Aitor Basauri, Stephan Kreiss, Petra Massey and Toby Park.

Curio founder and Co-Artistic Director Paul Kuhn says, "During the pandemic, we looked back on the shows we have done, and which ones brought us and our audiences the most joy. And without a doubt, it was Spymonkey's work. The way this piece literally requires laughter, joy, and teamwork - we just felt like the world needs so much more of that right now. We did a training this summer with Aitor Basauri from Spymonkey, and I laughed so hard that I had to be taken to the hospital. Thank god I made it back!"

The Complete Deaths is directed by Curio Co-Artistic Director Meg Trelease. Her cast of four clowns includes Curio co-founder and Co-Artistic Director Paul Kuhn, Curio Company Members Aetna Gallagher, Tessa Kuhn, and Nathan Joseph.

Kuhn is also the Set Designer. Gallagher is the Costume Designer. Dalton Whiting is the Lighting Designer. Damien Figueras is the Music Director and Sound and Multimedia Designer. Celia HuttonJohns is the Stage Manager and Eden Hershey is the Assistant Stage Manager

Director Meg Trelease says, "Audiences can expect an immersive experience in our multi-media meat packing factory that Paul brilliantly designed for us, and I just want people to feel like they have permission to belly laugh. This show is absolutely the most bonkers thing I have ever done, and we spend so much time just cracking up in rehearsal that it's sometimes hard to keep working. We have a ton of surprises in store!"

About Curio Theatre Company

Curio Theatre Company's mission is to serve audiences in West Philadelphia and beyond with high quality, affordable theatre performances; to develop artistic talent through ensemble, company -based training and rehearsal processes; and to further academic, social, and personal development through arts education. The artistic and the educational arms of the theatre company are intertwined as we make our home in the diverse community of West Philadelphia. The company's educational program was awarded the 2017 Victory Theatre Education Award at the Barrymore Awards Ceremony. It marked the company's first Barrymore Award. Curio Theatre Company is a 501(c)3 non-profit company based in West Philadelphia. The Company was founded by professional artists and administrators who met at the Hedgerow Theatre in Rose Valley, PA, and incorporated as a non-profit in 2004. After touring locally and internationally for several years, the Company began a search for a permanent home. In January 2005, Curio Theatre Company joined in partnership with the Calvary Center for Culture and Community at 4740 Baltimore Avenue, Philadelphia. This partnership provides Curio with a performance venue and classrooms within the Calvary Center as well as office space and company housing in the adjacent parish house.

Photo Credit: Rebecca Gudelunas

To post a comment, you must register and login.