When Theatre Gigante last presented Georg Buchner’s Woyzeck, Americans mostly saw the term “one percent” in the grocery store milk aisle. It was 2006, and we had not yet heard of Occupy Wall Street or the Tea Party. Ten years later, a time the struggles of working-class people is high on the political slate, it seems like a good time to revisit George Büchner searing and controversial “working class” tragedy.
“We felt that it was once again really relevant,” says Gigante Co-Artistic Director Isabelle Kralj. “An Everyman (or Everyperson) being knocked around by society. That’s what it’s about. It’s a good time to think again about the forces that affect a human being. Someone who’s trying to make ends meet and do the right thing. Trying to make everything work and support his family.” Ultimately, however, Woyzeck’s dehumanizing treatment ends in tragedy.
I met Kralj and her Gigante partner, Mark Anderson, for coffee one morning a week before the show opened. And they were both thrilled to be revisiting this 1837 play, a much debated classic of European modernism.
The company’s 2006 production of Woyzeck came at the urging of frequent collaborator Jim Butchart, who adapted and directed the original show. Butchart’s time, however, will be limited by commitments as a theater professor at UW-Whitewater, and he will co-direct the show with Kralj. And while the cast will be different, a key element of the original production will remain.
Butchart wanted to use the songs written by Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan for Robert Wilson’s 2000 version of the show. When Kralj approached Waits’ agent for permission, they were doubtful it would be allowed. But everyone was surprised when the reply came: “I don’t know why, but you’ve got the rights.” Kralj speculates that a key reason was that Gigante musicians would not try to imitate Waits inimitable voice and style.
For this production, the music will be sung by Christine Zufferey and Frank Pahl. As with many Gigante productions, the integration of music, dance movement and traditional theater, is central to the vision of the show.
And like many shows created by Gigante, the story isn’t a didactic lesson. “The amazing thing about Woyzeck” is there is so much comedy in a story that is essentially tragic,” says Kralj. “We always like that about a piece. We don’t like to hammer people over the head. And we don’t like ‘black-and-white.’”
“Partly because it’s unfinished and partly because it’s that kind of writing,” adds Anderson, “it’s not so important that it all sews up nicely.”
Anderson will play Woyzeck, and Kralj his common-law wife, Marie. The cast also includes Leslie Fitzwater, Edwin Olvera and Michael Stebbins.
Also opening this weekend:
- Skylight Theatre’s Crowns at the Broadway Theatre Center
- Danceworks’ Writing About Music/Dancing About Architecture at Next Act Theatre
- The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra plays Dvorak, Brahms and Corigliano at the Marcus Center
- Hamlet at Off the Wall Theatre
- Shipwrecked: The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as told by himself) at the Marian Center for Non-Profits
