Dmae Roberts talks with dancers Gregg Bielemier and Catherine Egan who are featured in Imago Theatre's Zugzwang (Sept. 29 - Oct. 22). This is the fifth installment of creator Jerry Maowad's Opera Beyond Wordsseries. And in the last part of the show we'll also learn how the Oregon Shakespeare Festival overcame a potential disaster this summer.
Imago Theatre's Zugzwang is described as part theatre and part dance. This wordless opera centers on a man making a life-altering decision while playing poker. That man is performed by Gregg Bielemeier (pictured left), long-time dancer who's performed all over Europe and the West Coast. He's currently on the faculty at Conduit Dance.
Also featured in the show is Portland dancer Catherine Egan (pictured left) who is choreographing a piece for the Richard Foreman Mini-Festival on Oct. 8 and 9 at Performance Works NW.
Zugzwang runs Sept. 29 - Oct. 22 at Imago Theatre located at 17 SE 8th Ave. in Portland. For more info call (503) 231-581.
- August: Osage County ensemble/ Photo courtesy of OSF
We'll also hear from Amy Richard, the Media & Communication Manager at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. We'll find out how OSF averted disaster when a beam broke at the mainstage Bowmer Theatre this summer. OSF quickly mobilized and performed productions in tents and other venues in Ashland and Medford. Though the company lost over $2 million in revenue, it managed to keep producing great theatre.
OSF's season runs till Nov. 6 in Ashland. (Photo: Bill Geisslinger, Robynn Rodriguez, Brent Hinkley, Terri MacMahon, Judith-Marie Bergan, Catherine E. Coulson, Kate Mulligan, Tony DeBruno & Jeffrey King.)
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