Night Just Before the Forest by Bernard-Marie Koltès at Cleveland State University

Trailer https://youtu.be/rxJTtjVVMcs?feature=shared

Borderlight Theatre Festival Includes Bernard-Marie Koltès Ohio Premiere

Lazaros Theodorakopoulos produces and stars in the tour-de-force solo play,

NIGHT JUST BEFORE THE FOREST by the acclaimed French playwright Bernard-Marie Koltès, translated by Timothy Johns, directed by Bill Bowers.

(60 minutes / Warning: some profanity)

JULY 25 @ 5:30PM JULY 26 @ 9PM JULY 27 @ 6:30PM @ Cleveland State University (CSU) Black Box Theatre

Review https://www.thenationalherald.com/review-lazaros-theodorakopoulos-in-the-night-just-bef ore-the-forests/

Tickets https://www.borderlightcle.org/night-just-before-the-forest/

2024 USA/CANADA TOUR

April 5,6,12,13 at Mabou Mines Studio in NYC April 27, 28 at Oregon Fringe Festival in OREGON July 24-27 at Borderlight Theater Festival in OHIO August 1 at Stella Adler Studio in NYC August 8-11 at Guelph Fringe Festival in CANADA August 12-18 at St Lou Fringe Festival in MISSOURI September 6 at Philadelphia Fringe Festival in PENNSYLVANIA

NIGHT JUST BEFORE THE FOREST (written in 1977) was Koltès’ first widely acclaimed play. He is considered to be heir to Samuel Beckett, Jean Cocteau and Jean Genet and his plays have been translated into more than 36 languages. Koltès died of complications from AIDS in 1989.

NIGHT JUST BEFORE THE FOREST is described as “an unstoppable monologue that must be uttered. Not sure where it came from. As definite and unknown as love, life and death is. Will you find the words to say what you want to say? Will you manage to love, live, or die? Will you manage to finish this monologue?" (producer's note)

Originally from Greece, Theodorakopoulos has been an actor in NYC and Greece for twelve years and began collaborating on this production with Bill Bowers in 2021. Both studied acting at the legendary William Esper Studio.

In the US, Timothy Johns' translation (1982) was first read by Gilbert Price on June 13, 1983 at Ubu Repertory Theater in New York and first performed by Kevin V. Smith (directed by E Barnick) in 2012 at Viaduct Theater in Chicago.

THEODORAKOPOULOS produced and starred in the 2022 New York premiere of Koltes’ play (in another English translation) at the Archdiocesan Hellenic Cultural Center. The 2024 tour, which began in New York on April 5, is Theodorakopoulos' second run of "La Nuit juste avant les forêts" by Bernard-Marie Koltès, translated by Timothy Johns and includes Bernard-Marie Koltès premiere in Oregon, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Missouri. Learn more at www.thelazaros.com