Undermain Theatre's New Season is Full of Lusty Greeks, Vampires

By Brentney Hamilton Tue., Aug. 21 2012 at 11:13 AM

Categories: Arts & Culture News, Theater

Jim D. / Foursquare

Actually, it's a lot better than it sounds. A lot. Undermain Theatre just announced its 29th season, full of lusty Greeks, biblical farces and vampires that don't sparkle. At least we don't think they do. The experimental playhouse's "Season of Myth" consists of four plays and three readings at the Dallas Museum of Art.

The season kicks off on September 29th with a new account of Homer's epic poem in An Iliad, translated from the original and reworked into "a radical new vision ... [by] Lisa Peterson and Denis O'Hare [who] have restored Homer's classic to a single wandering poet who recounts a story of three thousand years of human conflict and destruction."

Next, Fred Curchack and Laura Jorgensen return to Undermain with Burying Our Father: A Biblical Debacle from November 1 through 17. Examining the intersection of Abrahamic myths, "Jewish, Christian, and Muslim versions of this ancient story interweave and collide as Fred and Laura perform all the roles in an outrageous mix-up of drama, comedy, music, dance, and light and shadow magic."

January brings the Undermain to the new City Performance Hall for a lusty, modern take on Homer's Iliad by Tony award winner and SMU Meadows prize recipient, Enda Walsh. As described by Michael Billington of The Guardian, Penelope is "a wild, crazy, word-drunk piece that intoxicates and baffles", examining the tragicomedy of male competition.

Rounding out the season, Undermain's spring show, The Ghost Sonata, returns to traditional myths with Johan August Strindberg's masterfully haunting tale of vampires, mummies and ghosts, a "savage dream play shook the foundations of modern theatre when it debuted a century ago and remains one of the most influential experimental dramas of all time."

Tickets start at $15, and Undermain performances run Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays at 8:15 p.m. at 3200 Main Street (prior to the City Performance Hall debut). A full schedule is not yet available online, so call 214-747-5515 and keep an eye on undermain.org for more information.