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Theatre Fri Jan 22 2010
The Castle @ Oracle Theatre
When the boys are away, the women will play. Perhaps nowhere else is this sentiment more thoroughly lampooned than in Howard Barker's The Castle, opening this weekend at Oracle Theatre. The Castle explores the social and cultural unrest of 1980's Western civilization by way of the Crusades, following a pious knight, his retainer and a servant as they discover their once God-fearing estate has been turned into a free-love bastian of feminist ideals. The knight desperately tries to restore order by building walls, triggering a series of events best described as "absurd", "repulsive" and "nauseating".
Never beholden to an audience's roaring approval, Barker coined the term Theatre of Catastrophe to describe his work. Reveling in their instability and ambiguity, Barker's plays rarely elicit the same response from any one audience member, creating a chaotic environment that is rife with dialogue. Expect Oracle's production to be no different, presenting The Castle's harsh, deceptive characters with the sort of eccentric irony that will both confound and amuse.
The Castle previews tonight and opens tomorrow, running through March 6. Shows are Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sundays at 7pm. Oracle Theatre is located at 3809 N. Broadway and admission is a $10 donation at the door.
Oh, and I hear there are lesbian anarchists.
