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Brecht in Brooklyn
10th October 2019 - 20th October 2019
SMPL MCHN Theater Company presents “In the Jungle of Cities” by Bertolt Brecht from October 10-20, 2019.
SMPL MCHN – an experimental theater company – will present the world premiere play, IN THE JUNGLE OF CITIES, by BERTOLT BRECHT, as adapted and directed by ISAAC BUSH, at the immersive and site specific location of M. Fine Lumber (200 Morgan Ave.) in Williamsburg-Brooklyn, from October 10 – 20, 2019. Previews begin Thursday, October 10 prior to a press opening night on Saturday, October 12.
IN THE JUNGLE OF CITIES, depicts the story of George, a poetic book clerk, who, when faced with a shifty lumber dealer, named Shlink, must defend his territory and family honor. Fraud, crime and prostitution play out in this immersive new adaptation. The story is that of a boxing match between two men who know nothing of life other than its trials and tribulations.
In an ambitious new production – using Brecht’s 20th-century German and modernist template, playwright and director Isaac Bush delves into current American identity: fresh struggles with race, gender roles, and socio/economic injustice. Staged in the outdoor yard of M. Fine Lumber, audiences will experience the integration of performer and viewer in a cathartic and enthralling site-specific performance.
“As New Yorkers, In the Jungle of Cities is a title that reflects our urban environment – a frenzy of rhythms and a whirlwind of identity shifting beyond our control. As a Caucasian-American, cis-gender male creating theater, I feel it is my obligation to self reflect on our shared cultural fabric and explore the voices crying out for immediate need in the communities which surround us. We live in a chaotic time and place in history, however it is a landscape primed for emboldened moments of change.” – Isaac Bush.
The cast includes: GREGORY WARREN, MELLE PHILLIPS, KELSEY GODFREY, BURGANDY WILLIAMS, TEISHA DUNCAN and DENNIS WIT.
Production design credits are: Katy Atwell (Design & Production Coordination), Imani Lia (Costume Design), Sarah Trostle (Set Design) and Miguel Mendiola – Mendiola Arts Management (Press Representative & Producer).
ISAAC BUSH is an award-winning theatre maker and performer based in New York City. He serves as the director of SMPL MCHN in addition to The Circle Theater of New York and the China-based company, International Spice.
SCHEDULE: Preview performances for IN THE JUNGLE OF CITIES, are Thursday and Friday, October 10-11 at 8 P.M., prior to an official opening night on Saturday, October 12 at 8 P.M. – IN THE JUNGLE OF CITIES will perform Thursdays through Sundays, with all performances at 8 P.M., and will play its final performance on October 20, 2019.
For tickets, please visit: SMPL-MCHN.com, call the Box Office – Brown Paper Tickets at 1-800-838-3006, or also online at: Jungle