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Performances &
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Trumpets & Raspberries
a comedy by Dario Fo
Translated by R.C. McAvoy and A.M. Giugni
When an accidental surgical procedure renders the richest businessman in Italy with a new look, he suddenly finds himself accused of kidnapping.
Department of Theatre & Drama
November 17 - 20, 2011
Arthur Miller Theatre
Overview
The Story: Rescuing a man from a burning car, union worker Antonio finds himself under gunfire from the man’s would-be kidnappers. In escaping, Antonio accidentally leaves his coat behind on the disfigured victim, who turns out to be the wealthy Fiat industrialist Giovanni Agnelli, Antonio’s boss. When the unconscious Agnelli ends up at the hospital, everyone assumes he’s Antonio – and the plastic surgeons mistakenly reconstruct Agnelli’s face to look like Antonio’s. Mix in Antonio’s emotional, estranged wife, his loving mistress, secret agents, and inept detectives, and the result is “a cheerfully seditious tumble of mistaken identity, international espionage, and punchinello impertinence” (NY Times). Reminiscent of the Marx Brother’s antics, Trumpets & Raspberries is a farce with a thread of political satire.
Background: An influential Italian theatre artist and political satirist, Dario Fo is one of the world’s most frequently performed living playwrights. From the sensational play Mistero Buffo in 1969, to works including Accidental Death of an Anarchist and We Can’t Pay, We Won’t Pay, Fo has continuously created plays that pair popular entertainment with controversial political commentary. His works, often subject to censorship, use traditional forms of commedia dell’arte, which include improvisation and audience interaction. In 1997, Fo was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for “[his] blend of laughter and gravity [that] opens our eyes to abuses and injustices in society and also the wider historical perspective in which they can be placed.” Premiering in 1981, Trumpets & Raspberries was based upon the richest man and head of the largest car company in Italy at the time. Join us for this rare opportunity to experience Fo’s brilliant and very funny work.
Cast
Austin Andres (Dublin, Ireland), Danielle Boivin (Belleville, IL),
Avery DiUbaldo (Aurora, CO),Shannon Eagen (Southfield, MI),
Zoe Kanters (Vulcan, MI), Nathan Magyar (Dexter, MI),
Tim Markham (Novi, MI), Teagan Rose (Dedham, MA),
Nick Skardarasy (Grosse Pointe Shores, MI),
Brittany Uomoleale (Westport, CT), Andrew Whipple (Mt. Pleasant, MI),
Tim Wood (Ada, MI)
Illustration by David Zinn
Artistic Staff
| Director | Malcolm Tulip |
| Scenic Designer | Lisa Griebel |
| Costume Designer | Christianne Myers |
| Lighting Designer | Charles Malott |
| Sound Designer | Henry Reynolds |
| Stage Manager | Carolyn Reich |
Photos
Click here to view photos from the show
Program
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