Wilde's Banned Biblical Play SALOME Opens 2017 Season for Provincetown Theater

Oscar Wilde's wildly controversial "Salome" will be presenTed May 4 to May 20 at The Provincetown Theater. Written in 1891, the play was quickly condemned as a blasphemous take on The Old Testament tale of Salome, and banned in England for the next forty years. The play is full of religious mysticism, prophecy and superstition. Its characters mull over ideas about religious belief, morality, the ruling class, and especially human lust and sexual desire. Wilde's lyrical text mates image-rich cadences and repetitions with the narcissistic, violent and sexually-charged appetites of the play's central characters.

"Salome" is peopled with the historic characters of The Old Testament such as: King Herod (the lecherous ruler who is slowly going mad); Queen Herodias (the mother of Salome, also wrongly accused of multiple sins by John the Baptist); Salome (Herod's stepdaughter who becomes defiant in her sexual awakening); and Jokanaan (aka John the Baptist, who rails against Herodias and issues dark prophesies from his prison cell). The cast is further filled out with other biblical royals, favor-seeking court toadies, pompous religious men, slaves and soldiers.

According to director Tristan DiVincenzo, "Our audiences will see a highly-stylized 'Salome' performed against the junked landscape of a ruined future...a sort of post-apocalyptic scene of desolation, overlaid with the trappings of ruling class grandeur."

PRODUCTION NOTES:

· Australian actor Kim David Smith (Salome) was seen last summer as The Emcee in The Cape Playhouse production of "Cabaret". Smith will also bring his own cabaret act to Provincetown later this summer.

· "Salome" was originally written in French. Our show's English translation was written by Lord AlFred Douglas (Oscar Wilde's friend and lover).

· "Salome" had a Broadway run in 2003. The play became an obsession with actor Al Pacino, who appeared as Herod in a 1992 production, as well as the 2003 Broadway production (along with Marisa Tomei in the title role). Pacino later produced a documentary about "Salome," including interviews with Tom Stoppard, Bono of U2 fame, and many others. "Salome" was also the subject of a film by director Ken Russell, titled "Salome's Last Dance."

"Salome" show times are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, May 4 through 20. There is no Sunday matinee on May 21. All performances take place at The Provincetown Theater, located at 238 Bradford Street, Provincetown, MA. For tickets and additional information please visit the theater website at www.provincetowntheater.com or call the box office at 508-487-7487

"SALOME" CAST LIST

SALOME - Kim David Smith

JOKANAAN - Runn Shayo

HEROD - Jim Byrne

HERODIAS - Jo Brisbane

THE YOUNG SYRIAN, A JEW, ENSEMBLE - Sean Potter

THE PAGE of HERODIAS, A NAZARENE ENSEMBLE - Kevin Doherty

FIRST SOLDIER, NAAMAN, ENSEMBLE - Sally Tighe

SECOND SOLDIER, TIGELLINUS, ENSEMBLE - Bob Junker

THIRD SOLDIER, THE NUBIAN, ENSEMBLE - Tim Richmond

THE CAPPADOCIAN, ENSEMBLE - Rodger Chauvette

DANCE, ENSEMBLE - Alice Gong

DANCE, ENSEMBLE - Tim Shmirmang

Direction and Production Design - Tristan DiVincenzo

Light Design - Jim Byrne

Scenic Charge - Ethan Brown

Costumes - Carol Sherry

Prop Master - Mary Fritz

Projection Footage- Marianne Williams for the Munchausen Group

Sound Design - Ari and Tay

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