- THE NEW YORK TIMES
- NEW YORK MAGAZINE
- BOSTON GLOBE
PARIS COMMUNE
Written By: Steve Cosson and Michael Friedman
Songs Adapted By: Michael Friedman
Directed By: Steve Cosson
In 1871, working class Parisians overthrew the French government, declared Paris autonomous and launched an attempt to radically reinvent society. In this musical play, the Civilians brings this explosive event to life. Paris Commune employs a bold theatrical form to tell the story of this first socialist revolution in Europe. It uses found texts and original songs from the time period to tell the story of this extraordinary event in which the Parisian community radically reimagined its entire society.
We’d like to thank the following for their support of Paris Commune:
Robert and Elizabeth Wilmers
Aaron Stone
ICI
Choice Brooklyn
Choice Greene
Dough and Manny’s
Written by:
Steve Cosson and Michael Friedman
Songs adapted by:
Michael Friedman
Directed by:
Steve Cosson
The cast of the world premiere at ArtsEmerson and BAM’s 30th Next Wave Festival:
La Bordas, The Dressmaker and Others: Kate Buddeke
The Seamstress and Others: Aysan Celik
Elisabeth Dmitrieff and Others: Nina Hellman
The Soprano: Charlotte Dobbs
Louise Michel and Others: Jeanine Serralles
French Army Soldier, Adolphe Thiers, Raoul Rigault and Others: Brian Sgambati
The Baker and Others: Daniel Jenkins
Le Père Duchêne, Paris Guardsman, General Rossel and Others: Sam Breslin Wright
Scenic Design:
Alexander Dodge
Costume Design:
Sarah Beers
Lighting Design:
Thomas Dunn
Sound Design:
Ken Travis, Benjamin Furiga
Choreography:
Tracy Bersley
Projection Design:
Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew
Production Manager for ArtsEmerson and BAM:
Robbie Saenz de Viteri
Production Stage Manager for ArtsEmerson and BAM:
Terri K. Kohler
Line Producer for ArtsEmerson and BAM:
Rachel Jablin
Props Master for ArtsEmerson and BAM:
Will Kellogg
Musical Director/Pianist for Arts Emerson and BAM:
Jonathan Mastro
The Public LAB workshop production in 2008 was directed by Steve Cosson, with the following cast:
La Bordas, The Dressmaker and Others: Kate Buddeke
The Seamstress and Others: Aysan Celik
Elisabeth Dmitrieff and Others: Nina Hellman
The Soprano: IVA
Louise Michel and Others: Jeanine Serralles
French Army Soldier, Adolphe Thiers, Raoul Rigault and Others: Brian Sgambati
The Baker and Others: Jeremy Shamos
Le Père Duchêne, Paris Guardsman, General Rossel and Others: Sam Breslin Wright
Paris Commune had its world premiere in the fall of 2012 at ArtsEmerson in Boston and traveled to the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Next Wave Festival where it was in the BAM Fisher October 3-7. The Brooklyn performances included two talk-backs, one with Simon Dove and the artists, and one with NYU Professor of Comparitive Literature, Kristin Ross.
A work-in-progress version of Paris Commune was presented as a workshop production as part of The Public Lab Series, The Public Theater, New York City, opening April 4, 2008.
Paris Commune has been supported in its development by a workshop production produced by the Civilians; a residency with New York Theatre Workshop; the MacDowell Colony; and a Page to Stage workshop production at La Jolla Playhouse.
Performed as a workshop at The Mazer Theatre, NYC; Summer Residency with New York Theatre Workshop; produced as a “Page to Stage” workshop at La Jolla Playhouse; and showcased in The Public Theater’s New Work Now! festival.
THE NEW YORK TIMES: “But in the end you might experience some of the dizzy exhilaration, liberation and exhaustion known by the Parisians who took over their city in the heady spring of 1871.”
NEW YORK MAGAZINE: “wistfully, tunefully scholarly collage”
ANDREWANDREW DINNER THEATRE: Special Edition Green Light Red Light Recommendation
THEATERMANIA: “invigorating… the piece resonates strongly with contemporary social and political events”
BOSTON GLOBE: “passionate and cleverly constructed”
THEATERMANIA: “The Civilians, Jennifer Miller, SITI Company, Ivo van Hove Set for BAM’s 2012 Next Wave Festival”
WORLD SOCIALIST WEB SITE: “A turn toward history we need”
INDYPENDENT: “A stirring tale”
SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE: “the events of 1871 have strong contemporary reverberations”
NORTH COUNTY TIMES: “In ‘Paris Commune,’…we delve even deeper into the past”
GAY & LESBIAN TIMES: “The Civilians…create original work that is connected to and inspired by the contemporary landscape”
Watch the Paris Commune Mini Documentary
Check out our Paris Commune podcast episodes: Interviews with the Artists and Songs from the Show and An Interview with Kristin Ross, Expert on hte Commune. And we hope you’ll subscribe for free on iTunes HERE!
Here is an awesome feature with production footage and interviews with the artists for a CUNY TV show sponsored by the French Embassy!
Click HERE for blog posts about Paris Commune rehearsals, questions for the audience, and more!