Cutting Ball Theater Holds THE STRONGER, PARIAH and SIMOON Readings Today, 5/6

Cutting Ball Theater continues its 2012 celebration of August Strindberg's centennial with a Hidden Classics presentation of three one-act plays that show the power of Strindberg's invention.  The readings are free and open to the public today, May 6, 2012 at 1pm at The Cutting Ball Theater in Residence at EXIT on Taylor, 277 Taylor St., San Francisco.  For more information, visit cuttingball.com or call 415-525-1205

In THE STRONGER, two women sit at a table. One speaks and the other never says a word. The subject in question is the fidelity of the talkative woman's husband. Which of the two women is the stronger? PARIAH tells the story of two men and their fight over gold. In SIMOON, a soldier is bewitched by a mysterious woman from the desert. Amy Clare Tasker directs STRONGER; Sam Gibbs directs PARIAH; Amy Mueller directs SIMOON.

The readings will be followed by a discussion of the plays and Strindberg's relationship to the occult. A key aspect to appreciating Strindberg's work is understanding his deep belief that what we see and experience are only the surfaces of a much richer and more mysterious world that lies beneath. Cutting Ball delves into this part of Strindberg's work as the company prepares for Strindberg Cycle: The Chamber Plays in Rep, in which the occult plays a large role, especially in Strindberg's play The Ghost Sonata.

This season, Cutting Ball's Hidden Classics Reading Series explores and celebrates the works of, and inspired by, August Strindberg. The series offers a profound look at one of the greatest authors ever to write for the stage in a program that continues to be one of San Francisco's best-kept secrets.

The company will produce all five of Strindberg's Chamber Plays, in new translations by Paul Walsh, in a festival entitled Strindberg Cycle: The Chamber Plays in Rep in fall of 2012, the first time all five of Strindberg's Chamber Plays will be performed together in repertory in any language.

Co-founded in 1999 by theater artists Rob Melrose and Paige Rogers, Cutting Ball Theater presents avant-garde works of the past, present, and future by re-envisioning classics, exploring seminal avant-garde texts, and developing new experimental plays. Cutting Ball Theater has partnered with Playwrights Foundation, and the Magic Theatre/Z Space New Plays Initiative to commission new experimental works. The company has produced a number of World Premieres, West Coast Premieres, and re-imagined various classics. Voted "Best Theater Company" in the 2010 San Francisco Bay Guardian Best of the Bay issue, Cutting Ball Theater also earned the Best of SF award in 2006 from SF Weekly, was selected by San Francisco Magazine as Best Classic Theater in 2007, and received the 2008 San Francisco Bay Guardian Goldie award for outstanding talent in the performing arts. Cutting Ball Theater was featured in the February 2010 and 2012 issues of American Theatre Magazine.

WHEN: Sunday, May 6, 2012, 1pm

WHERE: The Cutting Ball Theater in Residence at EXIT on Taylor, 277 Taylor St., San Francisco

TICKETS: Readings free and open to the public. For more information, visit cuttingball.com or call 415-525-1205