The roof! The roof! The roof is on fire! Hell yeah! Oh shit, it is on fire. No, for real, dude. The ceiling—it’s, like, burning. Did someone leave a cigarette burning or something? Oh man. It’s spreading. Put that fucking cigarette out! Do you have some water or something? Try pissing on it. Woah, that was close. Nice peepee, dude.
This week: “We Can’t Reach You, Hartford!” by Stephen Aubrey ’06 and Jessica Chayes ’07, directed by Jessica Chayes ’07, lighting by Greg Malen ’07.
This massive project is the combined thesis efforts of director Jessica Chayes ’07 and lighting designer Greg Malen ’07. For those of you not familiar with creative theses (read: complete morons), imagine the following scenario: you are given the opportunity to summarize the entire accumulation of your university training in one artistic project. What this means, in practical terms: a creative team willing to challenge itself, wholly devoted to the enterprise of making worthwhile art. People are serious about their shit. Here you have the setting for creating “We Can’t Reach You, Hartford!”
“We Can’t Reach You, Hartford!” tells the true story of the Hartford Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus Fire of July 6, 1944. 168 people died at the circus that day, but the tragedy was glossed over in the wake of some bitch-fight overseas. But the blaze would destroy “The Greatest Show on Earth,” leaving a large, circus-sized stain in the history of those touched by the event. The play explores the loss of innocence of a city, a missing girl who becomes the object of obsession, and a search for the truth in a piece of history that no one can reach.
Adapting texts found from a variety of sources (chronicles of the fire, newspaper clippings, police reports, autobiographies, advertisements, etc.), Chayes and Aubrey held workshop performances of the show on campus last May. After an appearance at the Wings Theatre in New York City, the show premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2006, where it was nominated for the most prestigious award at the festival, the Fringe First. Coming back to the play for her senior thesis, Chayes started from scratch. Armed with a cast almost entirely unfamiliar with the script, the process of retelling this important story began again. From scratch. New texts have been added, scenes revamped, and new movements and actions created. When questioned about her creative process, Chayes simply responded: “We Can’t Reach You, Hartford: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes.” (If you don’t get the reference, pick up a fucking book, you imbecile.)
Beyond all of that, there is one more reason for all y’all to see this show. I am in it. So go get a ticket. They’re selling out, like, really really fast. People will be talking about this one for a while.
“We Can’t Reach You, Hartford!” opens Friday, April 6 in the CFA Theater and runs through Sunday, April 8. Performances: Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 7 p.m. Tickets: Free, day-of at the box office. Cast: Victoria Amoscato ’08, Edward Bauer ’08, Elissa Kozlov ’08, Kieran Kredell ’08, Zachary LeClair ’10, Gregory Silver ’10, Hansel Tan ’10, and Randa Tawil ’09. Crew: Stephen Aubrey ’06 (Co-Writer), Nick Benacerraf ’08 (Set), Jess Chayes ’07 (Co-writer/Director), Andrea Lipsky-Karasz ’08 (Costumes), and Greg Malen ’07 (Lights).
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