Red Bull Theater Continues REVELATION READINGS Series With THE ILLUSION
The reading will be presented both in person and online in partnership with L’Alliance New York.
By: A.A. Cristi Feb. 04, 2026
Red Bull Theater has announced details of the next event in its OBIE Award-winning Revelation Readings series, offered both in person and online.
The series will continue with The Illusion by Pierre Corneille, in a version by Ranjit Bolt and Nathan Winkelstein. The reading will take place live in person and via simulcast on Monday, February 16 at 7:30 p.m. ET at the Florence Gould Theater at L’Alliance New York (55 East 59th Street), with an on-demand stream available through the following Sunday. Open captions will be available during the Wednesday evening stream.
The reading is directed by Mirabelle Ordinaire with music by Satoshi Takeishi, and is presented by L’Alliance New York in partnership with Red Bull Theater.
The cast includes Keith Hamilton Cobb, Sharlene Cruz, Russell Daniels, Christian DeMarais, Allen Gilmore, Michael Rishawn, Jay O. Sanders, Nik Walker, and Mia Wurgaft.
Originally written in 1635 and first performed in 1636 under the title The Comical Illusion, The Illusion is a meta-theatrical work that blends comedy and tragedy through layered storytelling. The play follows an aging lawyer who turns to a magician to witness scenes from the life of his estranged son, unfolding a narrative of love, regret, illusion, and reality.
The play was originally staged by the Théâtre du Marais and later described by Corneille as a “strange monster,” referring to its genre-defying structure. Through a play-within-a-play framework and shifting timelines, The Illusion became one of Corneille’s most innovative works and is now regarded as a cornerstone of French theatrical literature.
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