Sept. 4-10—MIDDLETOWN SPRINGS—The Paramount Theatre will host the third residency of the acclaimed New York City theatre company Bedlam, Sept. 4-10. The residency will feature two workshop presentations of works in progress: George Bernard Shaw’s “Saint Joan” (a re-mount of Artistic Director Eric Tucker’s signature production prior to a national tour) and a new play, “Kind Man Man Kind” by Kimberly Pau. In a new Paramount structure, these two presentations will take place off-site at the Burnham Hollow Orchard Barn, 30 Orchard Road in Middletown Springs: “Saint Joan” on Friday, Sept. 8 at 7:30 p.m., and “Kind Man Man Kind” on Sunday, Sept. 10 at 4 p.m. Note: As these presentations are no-frills works in process, the admission will be “Pay What You Will” with a suggested donation of $10. Seating is limited to 80.
Paramount Executive Director, Bruce Bouchard, commented “It is both an honor and a rare treat that The Paramount is able to host this talented and enterprising theatre company for the third time in Vermont. Since their first appearance four years ago in the summer of 2013 they have established themselves as one of the premiere companies in the country. They have mounted nine full productions in the past four years (with three coming in their next New York City season) and have played in numerous American venues, to universal acclaim.
In “Kind Man Man Kind,” eight weekend warriors hike through an isolated Texas forest and are forced to confront the darkness within — a meditation on masculinity, privilege and surrendering dominance. Kimberly Pau wrote the play as a rallying cry to the many men who find toxic masculinity abhorrent but often find themselves in the role of the innocent bystander. As she endeavors to understand the perspectives of American men who feel lost in an automated world that trivializes their burliness, Pau commented, “I am thrilled to be exploring this epic landscape with Bedlam in a bucolic setting where they will be granted uninterrupted focus.” It is her hope that this story will ultimately inspire human connection between those who have been divided by our ever-changing world.
Eric Tucker and Andrus Nichols co-founded Bedlam in 2012, presenting George Bernard Shaw’s “Saint Joan” on a shoestring budget with only four actors playing over 25 characters. The show received instant recognition and was extended four times. Terry Teachout of The Wall Street Journal was an early admirer, having described it as “Thrilling! An unforgettable show! The most exciting George Bernard Shaw revival I’ve ever seen, bar none.”
Bedlam’s shows have been noted as Ben Brantley’s “Critics’ Picks” for The New York Times six times, noted on The New York Times “Top Ten Best Shows Lists” two times as well as those of The Wall Street Journal and Time
Magazine respectively. The Wall Street Journal also noted Eric Tucker as “Director of the Year in 2014.” Bedlam has won two Off-Broadway Alliance awards and an Obie Grant. Bedlam has been nominated for two Lucille Lortel awards, a Drama League award and four Elliot Norton awards, winning for Best Visiting Production and Best Ensemble for “Saint Joan.”
