The Duchess of Malfi
November 11-13 and 18-20
This “beautifully perverse” poetic masterpiece, set in the corrupt court of 16th century Amalfi, Italy, follows the young Duchess, a wealthy widow, as she makes her first appearance at court. Her greedy, morally-bankrupt brothers, covetous of her riches, demand she never marry. To further their schemes, the brothers secure the services of a notorious spy. But love will not be denied as The Duchess defies her brothers and, attended by her loyal lady-in-waiting, marries her lowly household steward. Her actions releases a torrent of emotions that journeys “into the heart of darkness.” A story of love, greed, intrigue, murder and redemption, this rarely performed adaptation by Bertolt Brecht and W.H. Auden conceives John Webster’s Jacobean revenge masterwork, meant as a warning of puritanical fanaticism, as a “romantic and politically subversive” poetic tragedy. Director Denise Gillman proudly reprises her critically acclaimed 1998 Los Angeles World Premiere staging of this adaptation.
