Skidmore Theater Announces Fall Black Box Production 33 VARIATIONS

The Skidmore College Department of Theater is pleased to announce its Fall 2018 Black Box production, 33 Variations by Moisés Kaufman, directed by senior Theater department faculty member, Marie Glotzbach.

Synopsis: In 1819, fledgling publisher Anton Diabelli commissioned 50 composers to write a variation on a waltz he had created. Beethoven rejected the invitation, dismissing Diabelli's waltz as ordinary. He then changed his mind and created not one but 33 variations on Diabelli's theme.Why? Why would a composer at the height of his powers become obsessed with such an insignificant little waltz, and build a major work on it? Kaufman's play weaves Beethoven's artistic journey with that of Katherine, a contemporary musicologist wrestling to pin down the source of the composer's fascination with the simple waltz. Deciphering clues left behind in Beethoven's notebooks and letters, Katherine delves into his compositional process and daily life, finding even greater insight into her own obsession with genius.

FROM THE DIRECTOR:"33 Variationsreveals characters who transcend centuries to touch one another in a theatrical space where past and present intertwine and are connected by the mystery of the impulse to create. What is the initial spark that sets everything in motion? 33 Variationsexamines the journey of taking something quite ordinary and transforming it. Taking inspiration from the variation art form, Moises Kaufman constructs a narrative with powerful theatricality and a sense of wonder that explores human relationships, art and life, fact and speculation. In the process, he challenges us to re-examine our understanding of the creative process. In 33 Variations, relationships and assumptions are transformed as Kaufman explores his central question: Why would a renowned composer, at the height of his creative power (and nearing the end of his life), spend so much time creating variations based on a mediocre waltz?"- Marie Glotzbach

Tickets: $12 general admission and $8 for students and senior citizens.

Reserve seats online at theater.skidmore.edu or by contacting our Box Office: boxoffice@skidmore.edu or (518) 580-5439.