The Flea Theater is set to present the New York Premiere of THESE SEVEN SICKNESSES, a 5-hour marathon of all seven of Sophocles’ plays re-envisioned by playwright Sean Graney, directed by Ed Sylvanus Iskandar, and starring The Bats. Standout Tribeca dining destination Macao Trading Co. will provide a complimentary Asian fusion feast at all performances. Previews begin January 19 for this special limited engagement, with opening night slated for Sunday, January 29.
In THESE SEVEN SICKNESSES, Sophocles’ seven surviving plays—Oedipus, In Trachis, Philoktetes, In Colonus, Ajax, Elektra & Antigone—combine to create a stunning portrait of the human condition, where the intermingling of chance & fate yields disquieting results. A witty & relevant interpretation of the classics, THESE SEVEN SICKNESSES is an epic examination of the past & a window on the present.
“When I read THESE SEVEN SICKNESSES, I knew it was a perfect fit for The Bats; just the right amount of hubris and more than enough drama to fill our tiny stage." says Artistic Director Jim Simpson. "It is sweeping, reverent, irreverent, modern, ancient, familiar and yet brand spanking new. Don't miss what will be a highlight of our season.”
Graney became interested in The Common themes inherent in the Sophocles cannon after adapting Ajax in 2001 for his Chicago-based company, The Hypocrites. Following workshops with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s BLACK SWAN Lab and a developmental lab with Exit, Pursued by a Bear in New York City (dir. Ed Sylvanus Iskandar), Graney decided the plays could and should be performed as a marathon event. THESE SEVEN SICKNESSES finally premiered to critical acclaim this past September in Chicago.
The Flea is partnering with neighborhood favorite, Macao Trading Co., to provide dinner for the show each night. The main entrée will be vegan and gluten-free, and will be included in the cost of the ticket. The Acting Company will serve audience members at this unique event.
Tackling this epic work is an extraordinary cast of 38, all members of The Flea’s lauded resident acting ensemble The Bats: Tiffany Abercrombie, Matt Barbot, Yoni Ben-Yehuda, Satomi Blair, Dave Brown, Allison Buck, Charlotte Bydwell, Holly Chou, Jenelle Chu, Ugo Chukwu, Alexander Cook, Tommy Crawford, Eloise Eonnet, Bobby Foley, Katherine Folk-Sullivan, Glenna Grant, Cleo Gray, Alex Grubbs, Grant Harrison, Victoria Haynes, Cameran Hebb, Alex Herrald, Miles Jacoby, Betsy Lippitt, Sean McIntyre, Kate Michaud, Seth Moore, Erik Olson, Victor Joel Ortiz, Jeff Ronan, Marie Claire Roussel, Olivia Stoker, Stephen Stout, Liz Tancredi, Will Turner, Tony Vo, Nate Washburn, and Akyiaa Wilson.
The design team includes Julia Noulin-Merat (set), Carl Wiemann (lighting), Loren Shaw (costumes), Patrick Metzger (sound), Michael Wieser (fight director), David Dabbon (music director), Greg VanHorn (dramaturg), and Edward Herman & Kara Kaufman (stage managers).
Sean Graney is the Founding Director of The Hypocrites, a Chicago theater company. As a playwright, Sean has received productions of his play The 4th Graders Present an Unnamed Suicide at 59E59; Autophagy at the Drama League Director’s Fest in 2007; Porno at the sideproject in Chicago; as well as several adaptations and short plays. As a director, Sean has worked at Steppenwolf, The Goodman, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis and Milwaukee Rep. He was a participant in the NEA/TCG Career Development Program for Directors from 2004/6. He has won two Joseph Jefferson Citations for Outstanding Direction for Equus and Machinal. He currently teaches at University of Chicago and Lake Forest College. Please check out his cleverly named website, seangraney.com, to find out what the future holds.
