Imaginary Beasts to Present Angela Carter's HAIRY TALES, 10/4-26

By: Tyler Peterson Sep. 04, 2013

Now is the time the wild beasts come out, now is the savage time of year... Shut the shutters! Bar the door! Throw more logs on the fire! Make a great blaze! Keep the wolves outside! And come. Be cozy by the fire as we spin for you twisted tales of terror inspired by the vivid imagination of Angela Carter. "Sleeping Beauty" becomes a Gothic tale of blood lust in "Vampirella," and in "The Company of Wolves," Little Red Riding Hood discovers the beast within.

This fall, Imaginary Beasts presents Angela Carter's Hairy Tales, an innovative production of Carter's radio plays for the stage, at the Plaza Black Box Theatre, Boston Center for the Arts, October 4 -26, 2013. The double-bill reimagines fairy stories of yore, challenging audiences' perceptions. The company will use their signature physical style to transport audiences into Carter's unsettling and irreverent imagination. Considered one of the most influential British writers of the post-WWII era, Carter was prolific and adventurous in her art. One of her favorite forms was the radio play. The Beasts will offer audiences the experience of "hearing" a radio play while witnessing strange, dream-like live performances.

Artistic Director Matthew Woods helms the production as auteur/director. The production will feature original music by composer Sam Beebe and the dark and whimsical designs of IRNE award winner Cotton Talbot-Minkin. To complement this adults-only exploration, Wee Beasties, an off-shoot of Imaginary Beasts geared towards audiences of all ages, will offer family-friendly matinees of Carter's comic romp, "Puss In Boots", directed by company member and fringe favoriteMichael Underhill. To promote Wee Beasties' debut production, the first performance will offer discounted tickets for all audience members.

"Vampirella," a sparkling and startling reimagining of Sleeping Beauty, introduces us to a virginal Hero who is making a trip through the Carpathians. Along the way he is taken into the home of the Lady Nosferatu, whose ancestors haunt the castle as she struggles with her desire for love and her desire to drain the Hero. In "The Company of Wolves," old Granny tells horrifying stories of werewolves meant to caution her granddaughter against wicked men. However, the stories only fuel her imagination and desires, leading to an inevitable encounter with the Wolf. In Puss in Boots, everyone's favorite feline trickster helps his master find love in the most unlikely of scenarios.

Throughout the run of "Hairy Tales," there will be special Monday presentations, including a reading of company member Joey C. Pelletier's adaptation of George Orwell's Animal Farm (October 7); the first workshop reading of ensemble member's Poornima Kirby's The Mystery Play, which the Beasts will present the world premiere of in the Spring of 2014 (October 14); and live music by composer Sam Beebe (October 21). Members of the ensemble and creative team will be available for interviews before and during the run of the show.

The production runs Thursdays through Sundays from October 4 through October 26. There will be two special Wednesday performances on the third and fourth weeks. Ticket prices vary. See details below for more detailed information on times and how to obtain tickets. For more information, contact Press Liaison and Company Manager Kiki Samko (imaginarybeasts.marketing@gmail.com, 781.859.9500).

Imaginary Beasts is part of the Emerging Theatre Company program at the Boston Center for the Arts.

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