Photo Flash: Art and Exile Take the Stage in Robert Lepage's NEEDLES AND OPIUM at A.C.T.

This spring, American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) presents Robert Lepage's internationally acclaimed play, Needles and Opium, running now through April 23, 2017. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the stars onstage below, plus click here for highlights!

Jazz legend MiLes Davis travels to Europe in 1949 to discover the pleasures of Paris, unlock his creativity, and find his heroine in Juliette Gréco. At the same time, French filmmaker Jean Cocteau embarks on his own opium-fueled journey to New York. Individually, the stories are thrilling and heartbreaking, but what elevates this production is the extraordinary storytelling.

Visionary Canadian director Robert Lepage mounts his set inside a vast cube suspended over the Geary Theater stage, with which he frames interlocking scenes from the different journeys. The result is not only a breathtaking dive into art and exile, but also a spellbinding mix of stagecraft and visual storytelling.

Written and directed by Robert Lepage, Needles and Opium features Olivier Normand as Jean Cocteau and Wellesley Robertson III as MiLes Davis. Both actors have performed these roles previously to critical acclaim.

Produced by Ex Machina, the creative team for Needles and Opium includes Normand Bissonnette (Director Assistant), Bruno Matte (Lighting Designer), François St-Aubin (Costume Designer), Carl Fillion (Set Designer), Claudia Gendreau (Props Designer), Lionel Arnould (Images Designer) and Jean-Sébastien Côté (Composer and Sound Designer).

Press night for Needles and Opium will be held on Wednesday, April 5, 2017. Single tickets (ranging from $20-$105) are available at the A.C.T. Box Office at 415.749.2228 or online at www.act-sf.org. Ticket prices are subject to change without notice.

Photo Credit: Tristram Kenton

Wellesley Robertson III as MiLes Davis. Photo by Nicola Frank Vachon.
Olivier Normand as Jean Cocteau
Olivier Normand as Jean Cocteau
Wellesley Robertson III as MiLes Davis and Olivier Normand as Jean Cocteau
Wellesley Robertson III as MiLes Davis and Olivier Normand as Jean Cocteau