cover photo by T Charles Erickson
"Neal Bell's exciting new
adaptation, from the novel, keeps the grit and erotic animality,
but throws out the cumbersome apparatus, letting the sordid story
breath and compressing it into a series of tight, poetically
written short scenes, using the grotesque tiny details to imply
feelings and situations in vivid shorthand: Naturalism as
haiku."
Michael Feingold, The
Village Voice
"Naturalism and
expressionism collide with shattering effectiveness in THERESE RAQUIN.
Emile Zola's seminal work of
naturalistic fiction caused an international scandal when
published in 1867. Zola's blunt, unprettified representation of
the most sordid elements of life—infidelity, murder, madness and
suicide—seemed revolutionary in the context of his time.
Especially remarkable was Zola's gritty portrayal of his
eponymous central character Therese, a brilliantly radical
departure from the simpering female prototypes of Victorian
convention.
Playwright Neal Bell's
expressionistic adaptation of Zola's masterwork is both allusive
and bold. Bell, who understands that less is more, tersely
renders a psychological suspense story that keeps us on the edge
of our seats."
F Kathleen Foley, The Los
Angeles Times
originally produced by professionally at The Williamstown Theater Festival, MA
5 M, 3 F
I S B N: 0-88145-136-3, $8.95