For Immediate Release: March 31, 2015
Contact: Ari Barbanell 617.495.2668
[email protected]
OBERON ANNOUNCES
APRIL - MAY PROGRAMMING
Cambridge, MA – OBERON, the American Repertory Theater’s (A.R.T.) second stage
and club theater venue on the fringe of Harvard Square, announces all the offerings to
be presented at OBERON during April and May, in addition to the previously
announced productions, including Visiting Artists, Artists in Residence, and Usual
Suspects.
THE MIKADO
A.R.T. Season
Presented by The Hypocrites
Adapted & Directed by Sean Graney
March 31 – April 5
Tickets $25-30
The Chicago-based company The Hypocrites (Pirates of Penzance, Romeo/Juliet,
12Nights) reimagines this 1885 operetta, infusing the absurdist comedy of W.S. Gilbert’s
libretto with Monty Python clownishness, and bringing a folk/pop interpretation to Arthur
Sullivan’s lovely, lilting melodies. Expect zany fun and hip tunes in this vibrant adaptation
of one of Gilbert and Sullivan’s most beloved works, The Mikado.
__________
THE BIG QUIZ THING
OBERON Presents
Presented by The Big Quiz Thing and OBERON
Monday, April 6 at 8PM
Monday, May 4 at 8PM
Free Admission
The Big Quiz Thing, the major-league game show that you get to play, is live at OBERON
every month. Quizmaster Noah Tarnow presents five big rounds of the world’s greatest
multimedia quiz excitement, including video puzzles and audio clues. Plus, there’s hope
for dummies: Smart-Ass Points for wrong but funny answers. Best of all is the $200 cash
grand prize, along with show tickets, books, DVDs, CDs, baked goods, and more. May
the “fourth” be with you and guide you to the right answers for the Star Wars themed
trivia on May 4!
__________
ACOUSTICAELECTRONICA
OBERON Artist in Residence
Presented by Touch Performance Art and OBERON
Friday, April 10 at 10:30PM
Friday, May 8 at 9:30PM
Tickets $25-55
AcousticaElectronica sends the audience on a tantalizing voyage filled with sensual
and emotional discoveries as elements of electronic and classical music, dance, circus
arts, and immersive theater are fused with the infectious energy of the contemporary
nightclub. Dancers, symphonies, aerialists, operas, and live musicians (THE WIG
included) all happen around every inch of the space to keep the audience guessing at
every turn.
__________
EMILY DICKINSON’S MUSIC BOOK: A PRELUDE TO THE CIVIL WAR
Presented by Harvard Library
Sunday, April 12 at 2PM
Free, but ticketed
The music that Emily Dickinson knew and loved is brought to life in words and music,
illuminating her poetic voice that was emerging against the backdrop of the
impending Civil War. The Red Skies Music Ensemble interweaves period music with an
archive-based illustrated narrative presented by George Boziwick that centers on
Dickinson’s “binders’ volume”, her personal sheet music collection. Actress Elise Toscano
uses Emily Dickinson’s own words to portray Dickinson’s New England spirit as a knowing
observer of her inner and outer musical and poetic worlds.
__________
OSCAR AT THE CROWN AND THE LOVE THAT DARE NOT SPEAK ITS NAME
Created by Mark Mauriello
Original Music by Andrew Barret Cox
Wednesday, April 15 and Thursday, April 16 at 8PM
Friday, April 17 at 10:30PM
Tickets $15-35
In May of 1895, poet and celebrity Oscar Wilde was convicted of gross indecency and
sentenced to two years hard labor. The career, persona, and world Wilde created for
himself shattered in an explosion of public scandal and intimate anguish. In this lovetorn fall, Oscar was neither the first nor the last. Journeying from pop party to abstract
performance, OSCAR… offers a glimpse into the mind of the man behind the
reputation, ultimately breaking apart the distinctions between performer, character,
and inspiration.
__________
HARVARD CHAN SCHOOL’S ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL NIGHT: U-NITE
Friday, April 17 at 7PM
Tickets $5
This event is an opportunity for Harvard Chan students from diverse backgrounds to
celebrate their culture and share their talents through music, dance, and art. All
members of the Harvard Chan community are welcomed to immerse themselves in the
cultural and artistic showcases of their student body.
QUEEN NIGHT AT THE DONKEY SHOW – STARRING MIRANDA WRIGHTS
Usual Suspect
Presented by OBERON
Saturday, April 18 at 7:30PM & 10:30PM
Tickets $25-45
Once a month The Donkey Show’s glittery world gets a little more glitter with Queen
Night. Miranda Wrights will join this disco retelling of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s
Dream as she takes the stage for a disco diva inspired performance.
__________
POETRY GRUDGE MATCH: HOUSE SLAM VS. BOSTON POETRY SLAM
Sunday, April 19 at 7PM
Tickets $10-15
To celebrate National Poetry Month, Boston’s oldest and freshest poetry slam venues,
the House Slam and Boston Poetry Slam, will take the stage for big-city bragging rights.
Team captains will each recruit seven cutthroat slammers who will use the tricks of their
trade – lyricism, comedy, political fury, and personal narrative – to impress rowdy a
rowdy audience and five all-star judges.
__________
THE STORY COLLIDER
Presented by The Story Collider
Tuesday, April 21 at 8PM
Tickets $10-12
The Story Collider is an evening of true, personal stories about science. From finding
awe in Hubble images to visiting the doctor, science is everywhere in our lives. Whether
we wear a lab coat or hasn’t seen a test tube since eighth grade, science affects and
changes us.
__________
LITERARY DEATH MATCH
Presented by Todd Zuniga and Kirsten Sims
Wednesday, April 22 at 8PM
Tickets $10-15
Literary Death Match carries the literary and performative aspects of Def Poetry Jam,
rapier-witted quips of American Idol’s judging (without the meanness), and the
ridiculousness and hilarity of Double Dare. Each episode of this competitive, humorcentric reading series features a thrilling mix of four famous and emerging authors who
perform their most electric writing in seven minutes or less before a lively audience and
a panel of three all-star judges.
__________
EXPERIENCE CAMPS FIRST ANNUAL BOSTON FUNDRAISER
Thursday, April 23 at 6:30PM
Tickets $60-85
Experience: Boston features a night of open bar, plentiful hors d’oeuvres, heartwarming
stories, and legendary milkshake tradition of Steve Hirsch. All proceeds benefit
Experience Camps, one-week summer camps for children whose parent or sibling has
died.
__________
THE YOUTH HOUSING INITIATIVE GALA
Presented by the Youth Housing Initiative
Friday, April 24 at 7PM
Tickets $100
The Youth Housing Initiative (YHI) is a new initiative coming from the Harvard Square
Shelter. Both are programs of the Phillips Brooks House Association (PBHA), the non-profit
at Harvard College that involves students in a community work around
Cambridge/Boston. The evening will include great music, cash bar, dancing, personal
stories, door prizes and more.
__________
A DARK KNIGHT IN THE ASYLUM
Friday, April 24 at 10:30PM
Sunday, April 26 at 8PM
Tickets $15-20
After a sold-out show last year, The Slaughterhouse Sweethearts and their fiendish
friends present the villainous burlesque, A Dark Knight in the Asylum. Catwoman, TwoFace, Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, among others, will be stripping the audience of their morals
along with their own clothing.
__________
THE MOTH
Usual Suspect
Presented by The Moth
Tuesday, April 28 at 8PM
Tuesday, May 19 at 8PM
Tickets $8-16
The Moth StorySLAMs are steadily spreading all over the map, gathering people and
stories from all over the country. New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Boston have
multiple shows each month. The Moth is open to anyone with a five-minute story to
share on the night's posted theme. The brave of heart, or those with stories they're
aching to tell, prepare personal, true tales. When the doors open, storyteller hopefuls
put their names in The Moth Hat. A half hour later, names are picked, and one by one,
storytellers take the stage. Each person has just five minutes. The 10 featured stories are
scored by teams of judges selected from the audience. Each StorySLAM generates a
StorySLAM winner. After ten SLAMs, the winners face off in the GrandSLAM
Championships.
__________
THE BIG FAMILY QUIZ THING
Sunday, May 2 at 1PM
Tickets $10 for children up to 13; $15 for adults; $40 for family of 4
Following a sold-out event this winter, The Big Family Quiz Thing returns to OBERON with
an afternoon of trivia fun for kids and adults. Bring the whole family because everyone
gets to play the six rounds of fast and funny multimedia team-trivia. Family ticket
packages available.
__________
MUSIC IN MOTION
Presented by Juventas New Musical Ensemble and Puppet Showplace Theater
Tuesday, May 5 and Wednesday, May 6 at 7:30PM
Tickets $10-20
An evening of unforgettable music and visual theater as Juventas and Puppet
Showplace Theater lead the audience on a journey through 100 years of modern
music. From Satie to Benjamin Perry Wenzelberg – Juventas’ 15-year-old composer – the
performance celebrates the past while giving a glimpse into the future of music.
__________
FIFTY SHADES OF BEY
Presented by the Lipstick Criminals
Thursday, May 14 and Friday, May 15 at 8PM
Tickets $20-25
Directed by Vanessa White, creator of The Slutcracker, Fifty Shades of Bey promises a
night of fresh, original choreography performed to a bangin’ selection of the Queen
Bey’s risqué repertoire.
__________
NEWPOLI CD RELEASE “NUN TE VUTÁ”
Presented by Newpoli
Friday, May 29 at 8PM
Tickets $15-20
Newpoli performs music from the South of Italy laced with influences from all of the
surrounding Mediterranean cultures. Originals are mixed with exciting arrangements of
traditional music, the tempo is high, and their drama and passion can be heard in
every note.
__________
THE DONKEY SHOW’S 600TH PERFORMANCE APRIL CELEBRATION
The Long-Running Hit
Presented by A.R.T.
Every Saturday night at 7:30PM & 10:30PM
600 Dance Floor Tickets for $10
In celebration of 600 fabulous performances, The Donkey Show will be selling 600 dance
floor tickets for only $10. Tony Award-winner Diane Paulus’ celebrated smash hit
continues its 5th Season at OBERON every Saturday night, bringing you the ultimate
disco experience – a crazy circus of mirror balls and feathered divas, of roller skaters
and hustle queens inspired by Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The party
rages on the dance floor to all the best 70s hits as the show unfolds around the
audience. After the show, the party continues into the night so you can live out your
own disco fever fantasy!
__________
OBERON is located at 2 Arrow Street at the corner of Mass Ave. in Harvard Square,
Cambridge. For more info and tickets visit cluboberon.com.
OBERON is the American Repertory Theater’s second stage, a destination for theater
and nightlife on the fringe of Harvard Square. In addition to offering work from the
A.R.T’s main season, OBERON is also a thriving incubator for emerging artists to imagine
new projects that could only exist in this exciting club-theater environment. Thousands
of artists and performance groups bring work to the space each year. OBERON
regularly features local performers including aerialists, beat poets, food artists, tap
dancers, gender-bending sketch troupes, comedians, hula-hooping burlesquers, and
pop-and-lock human statues to name a few.
###