Phoenix Festival Will Present DR. UNCANNY PRESENTS: MOREAU ’96
The staged reading with music takes place October 16 in Nyack.
By: A.A. Cristi Sep. 24, 2025
Phoenix Festival will present DR. UNCANNY PRESENTS: MOREAU ’96, a staged reading with music adapted from David Gregory’s 2014 documentary Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley’s Island of Dr. Moreau (courtesy of Severin Films).
With music by Obie Award winner and Guggenheim Fellow David Van Tieghem, book and lyrics by two-time Drama Desk nominee Sara Farrington (CasablancaBox), and direction by two-time Drama Desk nominee Reid Farrington, MOREAU ’96 is a musical theater piece exploring the collapse of director Richard Stanley’s Hollywood debut. The true story—part cautionary tale, part dark comedy—becomes a metaphor for the de-evolution of art in 2025: vision vs. commercialism, innovation vs. cliché, and Marlon Brando vs. everyone.
The cast includes Zoë Van Tieghem, David Van Tieghem, Kevin R. Free, Abe Goldfarb, and Alissa Finn, with musical direction by Sara Linger. Produced by Foxy Films Theater Co., the piece runs 70 minutes and is recommended for ages 13 and up.
Behind the production are director Reid Farrington, playwright and lyricist Sara Farrington, and composer David Van Tieghem, with Sara Linger providing musical direction. Together with the ensemble, they bring Foxy Films’ signature blend of projection, live performance, and experimentation to their first foray into musical theater.
DR. UNCANNY PRESENTS: MOREAU ’96 will be performed Thursday, October 16, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. at Rose Hall @ Prohibition River, located at 82 Main Street in Nyack, NY (second floor). Tickets are $38 and available at phoenixensembletheatre.org.
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