Poltergeist & The Julie Cycle
New innovative theatre company Poltergeist Theatre Project, one of the six companies being launched through PlayGround’s 2019 Innovator Incubator, debuts with the premiere of The Julie Cycle, August 5-7 and August 19-21 at Potrero Stage as part of PlayGround’s month-long Innovators Showcase. A new production company whose focus is feminist and queer representation, Poltergeist presents a three-person adaptation of Strindberg’s problematic original. Other performance dates and locations include August 10 & 11 at The Harvey Milk Center for the Arts, and August 23-24 and August 30-31 at Pianofight. For more information and tickets, visit https://www.poltergeistproject.org/.
The Piece
Strindberg’s Miss Julie has been performed every year since its inception, in spite of its actively misogynist preface in which Strindberg says “[women] will always be born stunted and can never catch up to [men] in the lead.” The Julie Cycle reimagines the play as a cyclical purgatory nightmare, where Julie finds herself living multiple lives as multiple characters, struggling to discover a way to escape the tragedy that awaits her at the end of the play. Three actors will share the roles of Kristin, Julie and Jean, exploring gender and identity through song, movement, and an updated version of the original text. The piece examines our ability to overcome the epigenetic and societal trauma that sculpts us- can we ever truly escape our past trauma? Can we find a way to challenge the systemic burn of sexism and class to see each other as equals? As a mobile piece, the production will enjoy performances in multiple venues at various price points to provide accessibility – one of the core tenets of Poltergeists’ mission. Cast as the attendees of The Midsummer party that frames the piece, the audience will find themselves immersed and ultimately implicated in the action of the play.
The Team
Co Artistic Directors Chris Steele and Britt Lauer represent two thirds of the cast in this first production of the company’s inaugural season. Not the first time the two have shared a role, Steele and Lauer played two halves of Puck in We Players’ 2017 Midsummer adaptation. Though the concept for the show is one that Steele and Lauer have been developing for roughly three years, the inclusion of quotes and phrases from our current political landscape brings a relevancy and an urgency to the performance of the adaptation now. Joining Steele and Lauer, Bay Area new-comer Jackie Wolfe rounds out the triumvirate. Giselle Boustani-Fontenele directs, Brooke Jennings designs costumes, and Louis Lagalante composes the original score for a world that’s reached a breaking point.
About Poltergeist
Honoring San Francisco’s strong tradition of revolutionary art that ignites the flame of cultural and societal progress, Poltergeist creates radically queer, feminist, intrinsically participatory theatre. Whether highlighting work by new artists or subverting and reframing a problematic public domain play to create a brand new adaptation, Poltergeist seeks to normalize and centralize Other narratives. Focusing on the tenets of inclusivity, representation, and accessibility, we’re hoping to remind this city of its deep roots in queer art. Two more productions round out this first season for the company. For more info about the company and the rest of the season, visit www.poltergeistproject.org.