The Wooster Group will stage the U.S. premiere of Nayatt School Redux March 8.
Nayatt School Redux reimagines Nayatt School, an original 1978 Wooster Group production composed by Elizabeth LeCompte and Spalding Gray. The original Nayatt School was Gray’s first foray into the monologue form, launching his influential career as an autobiographical monologist.
Nayatt School Redux opens with a monologue from longtime Wooster Group member Kate Valk, revealing newly-restored archival video recordings of Gray’s opening monologue from the original production. In it, Gray described his beginnings in the theatre and played LPs from his record collection, including an LP of T.S. Eliot’s The Cocktail Party. The production then dovetails into Wooster Group history and scenes from the original production, including the climactic The Cocktail Party.
Redux will feature performances by Ari Fliakos, Andrew Maillet, Michaela Murphy, Suzzy Roche, Scott Shepherd, Maura Tierney, Kate Valk, and Omar Zubair.
LeCompte will direct and design the production, with sound designers and original music composers Eric Sluyter and Omar Zubair, lighting designer David Sexton, original video and 16mm film director Ken Kobland, additional video directors Yudam Hyung Seok Jeon and Andrew Maillet, technical director Tavish Miller, production manager Aaron Amodt, general manager Monika Wunderer, and producer Cynthia Hedstrom.
The piece will be presented with permission of the T.S. Eliot Estate.
