BETTY BAM to Play Boston Center for the Arts

A knock at the door followed by an accusation of an undisclosed crime forces Betty Bam to engage in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse with her would-be pursuers. Charming Betty will take on many roles in a no-holds-barred attempt to escape her fate. Daughter. Wife. Temptress. Actress. Cold blooded killer. But which is the real Betty Bam? Who killed Pyotr Nikolayevich? And isn't that him standing right over there?

Follow the beguiling Betty through her many incarnations as she attempts to make meaning in a landscape of rapidly shifting genres and ever-present threat when the imaginary beasts return this spring with a play that defies classification. Betty Bam, Part Two of their lauded Daniil Kharms' Project, is an original adaptation based on Kharms' Elizaveta Bam.

Following their exploration of Kharms' micro-prose with last Fall's critically acclaimed KNOCK!, the beasts push ever further into the psyche of one of Stalinist Russia's lost voices with BETTY BAM!. Broken up into nineteen "bits", Betty Bam is an experiment that challenges what theatre is and can be. Reflecting Kharms' writing experiment, the beasts have put this project into the hands of not one but three directors who will each bring their unique flavor to the project. Artistic Director Matthew Woods helms the production, joined by long-time collaborators Joey C. Pelletier and Michael Underhill. Working from an original translation by Zoya Derman, the ensemble will present a never-before-seen adaptation of the piece. Talkbacks will follow performances on Sunday, April 12 and Friday, May 1 to enlighten the audience to the beasts' process and the piece.

The design team of KNOCK! returns for this production (Cotton Talbot-Minkin provides costumary confections; Christopher Bocchiaro delights with lights; Chris Larson creates sonic magic), plus a few additions (Samuel Beebe, of 2013's Hairy Tales, will create an original score), promising to create a visually and aurally rich world. Meanwhile, an ensemble of imaginary beasts veterans (Cameron Cronin, Sarah Gazdowicz, Molly Kimmerling, Amy Meyer, Elizabeth Pearson, Kiki Samko, and William Schuller) experiment with the meaning of identity throughout the piece, with each woman taking on the role of Betty and each man mysteriously trading places with the other. Join Boston's most inventive ensemble as they dive into this Kafka-esque nightmare, which is equal parts Greek tragedy, detective thriller, and Vaudevillian confection. Renowned for their onstage physical feats as much as for their unique and daring stagescapes, BETTY BAM is not to be missed.

BETTY BAM runs Friday - Sunday, April 10 - May 2, with two special Thursday performances (see full schedule below) and tickets are $20. See details below for more information on performance times and how to obtain tickets. The cast and production team will be available for comment and interviews. For more information, contact Kiki Samko (781.859.9500, imaginarybeasts.marketing@gmail.com). imaginary beasts is part of the Emerging Theatre Company program at the Boston Center for the Arts.