BEOWULF:A THOUSAND YEARS OF BAGGAGE Starts at Abrons Arts Center Mar. 31

Flawed heroes, sympathetic monsters and haughty professors collide as this hefty poem is rescued from the grasp of 1,000 years of highbrow analysis and transformed into a defiantly raucous musical. Presented by San Francisco's infamous Shotgun Players and New York's infectious Banana Bag & Bodice, this new SongPlay is an irreverent dissertation on art versus criticism in blood soaked Scandinavia! The award winning Beowulf: A Thousand Years of Baggage is written by Jason Craig with music by 2009 Larson Award Winner Dave Malloy and directed by Rod Hipskind.

The production will be presented at The Abrons Arts Center's Harry de Jur Playhouse (466 Grand Street @ Pitt). Performances will begin Tuesday, March 31; Opening April 5 through April 18, 2009. Tickets are $20 -$25 (March 31 is pay what you can). They can be purchased by calling OvationTix at 866-811-4111 or at www.beowulfnyc.com.

Some would say the old world character of Beowulf is a rugged warrior fighting for survival. Others would argue that he is fighting for the destruction of society. Is the great story a structurally pagan tale with Christian overtones or a Christian tale inspired by the book of Genesis? With so many contrary ideas, the only reasonable plan is to create a new version of Beowulf, one where each narrator battles to tell the story from their own perspective.

Shotgun Players and Banana Bag & Bodice have gotten down to work inspecting this classic poem-adapting its powerful narrative to make a new play that is part homage and part parody. Beowulf: A Thousand Years of Baggage combines Weillian cabaret, 40's jazz harmony, indie rock, electroinica and Romantic lieder into a new musical voice, allowing the original epic poem and the language of modern musical theater a uniquely outrageous platform on which to unite.

Banana Bag & Bodice has brought their own brand of outlandish, creative and poetic style to the downtown theatre scene for the past 5 years, creating such critically acclaimed favorites as Panel.Animal, The Sewers and The Fall & Rise of The Rising Fallen, mixing music and text with provocation, satire and whim. Banana Bag & Bodice is an ensemble theatre company who work to redefine the traditional notion of performance through original texts and music. Shotgun Players exist to create fearless, provocative, relevant theatre. Over the past 18 years Shotgun has made a significant contribution to the modern theatrical canon with it's bold, innovative commissions from playwrights such as Adam Bock, Marcus Gardley, Eisa Davis and Liz Duffy Adams.

The cast of Beowulf features Banana Bag & Bodice company members Jason Craig (The Fall & Rise of the Rising Fallen, Oh What War) and Jessica Jelliffe (Panel. Animal, The Sewers), as well as Bay Area darlings Chris Kuckenbaker, Anna Ishida, Shaye Troha & Beth Wilmurt. The band, led by composer 2009 Larson Award Winner Dave Malloy on Piano/Accordion, includes Benjamin Geller on Viola, Mario Maggio on Bass Clarinet/Clarinet, Jen Baker & Andy Strain on Trombones, Andre Nigoghossian on Guitar/Saw, Ezra Gale on Bass and Daniel Bruno on Percussion. The production is directed by Rod Hipskind; set design by Banana Bag & Bodice; original costume design by Kaibrina Sky Buck, with additional costumes by SF Buffoons; Lighting Design by Miranda Hardy; Sound Design by Brendan West. Cat Coffey will stage manage.

For tickets or to check out clips from Beowulf visit www.beowulfnyc.com.