The Way of the Language / BLEECKER STREET THEATRE
(New York City, off-Broadway debut)

Painted Filly Theatre is thrilled to announce its off-Broadway debut, a workshop performance of Nicholas Johnson's new documentary performance piece The Way of the Language. The performance will be on Friday, 14 August 2009, from 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (EST) at the Bleecker Street Theatre, 45 Bleecker Street, New York City. The Way of the Language has been devised and distilled from the vast paper trail of the War on Terror, using the laws, memoranda, reports, and declassified trial transcripts together with the arguments, conspiracies, and bomb recipes that have grown up around these official texts. The result is a challenging new work of "verbatim theatre" that engages American actors and international audiences in the political and philosophical discussion surrounding the contemporary moment.

Using the dramatic transcripts from detainee hearings at Guantánamo Bay as a point of departure, The Way of the Language workshops will ultimately create a theatrical documentary exploring the relation between language and violence. Avoiding the polemic style of blunt political theatre, this production will use only transcript texts and "found objects" in order to capture the cacophony, the disagreement, and the divergent narratives on all sides. On the way, the production will provide a rarely-seen glimpse into the inner workings of American policy on torture, the astonishing verbatim voices of self-proclaimed terrorists, and the chilling vocabulary of world war.

This production brings together two Dublin-based collaborators with actors resident in New York. The cast will including Painted Filly Theatre associate artist Brenda Meaney and artistic director Nicholas Johnson, as well as bringing back DeVon Jackson, acclaimed for his lead role in Noise in 2006 and called an "actor to watch" by the New York Times Later workshop sessions will take place in Dublin, and will add more actors to the process before a major performance of the completed work, expected in 2010. Painted Filly Theatre is excited to present a multi-stage work across two continents, and believes that this unusual long-term process offers a particularly special opportunity to experiment and develop its work.

Listings Information:

THE WAY OF THE LANGUAGE / voices from the war on terror
adapted/directed by Nicholas Johnson
and devised with the cast

BLEECKER STREET THEATRE, New York City
14 August 2009 / 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM EST
No advance booking required

See here for more information about getting tickets and getting to the Bleecker Street Theatre.

DANIEL JAMES KILLELEA

Theatre isn't the only thing we make. Jennifer Killelea, a co-founder, director, and producer for Painted Filly Theatre, recently celebrated the birth of her son, Daniel James Killelea. A big congratulations (and welcome!) from artists and audience alike.

FUNDING & SPONSHORSHIP

Painted Filly Theatre is taking on a significant new financial challenge in presenting work abroad, and while we were delighted that 100 Minutes 2009 received Arts Council once-off project funding, no further public funding has been approved at this time. The Way of the Language is an extensive project that has been funded entirely from profits earned from our previous shows, and will rely on individual and corporate donations to remain viable. Before we return to Dublin and hold the (infamous) annual pub quiz, Painted Filly Theatre would love to have your support. If you would come and see us in Dublin, please consider buying a ticket for our New York show even if you can't be there. Donations in any amount will help us. You will get your name in the programme and on our website (as well as receiving our undying gratitude). Contribute in cash to one of our artists or make an online donation at www.paypal.com by entering our email address, info@paintedfilly.com. Thank you all for your faithful support during this challenging period.

Associate Artist News


The Dublin Fringe Festival 2009

Many of our associate artists and former collaborators will be presenting work in the Dublin Fringe Festival in September of 2009. Watch this space for a full listing of productions and schedules.