'Marat/Sade' plays to emotions
Katie Schleiss
Issue date: 4/16/09 Section: Living
"The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade" is an abnormally long title for a play. Thankfully, shortened to "Marat/Sade," this play offers a shortened, although emotionally loaded, account of the differing ideologies and attitudes surrounding the French Revolution.
A lofty subject usually reserved for history classrooms and dedicated scholars, "Marat/Sade" makes this historical event both interesting and applicable to modern society.
The French Revolution was characterized by violent turmoil and vast bloodshed. While political opponents in America don't usually resort to murder and guillotines as a way of recruiting citizens, the debate between individualism and socialism rings loudly today.
"Marat/Sade" is a bloody depiction of both political and human struggle and asks whether suffering and revolution comes from changing society or changing one's own beliefs.
"Marat/Sade" brought playwright Peter Weiss widespread international attention and the legendary director Peter Brook staged a famous production in New York City the following year after the play premiered.
"The main premise of this play is that people always have to ask questions about their government and ask about what constitutes good leadership and when change in government is needed," Colin Murray, theater professor and director, said.
During this time period both America and France were going through revolutions. The play is set in the historical Charenton Asylum and the actors are the inmates. Nurses and supervisors occasionally step in to restore order among the ensuing chaos.
When Murray pitched this show to the faculty last year, the U.S. presidential campaign was still going on.
"There were many questions floating around about what a good leader is like and this question was on my mind because the same question is asked in this play," Murray said. "I don't consider the play to be a political statement in favor of an political opinion."
A lofty subject usually reserved for history classrooms and dedicated scholars, "Marat/Sade" makes this historical event both interesting and applicable to modern society.
The French Revolution was characterized by violent turmoil and vast bloodshed. While political opponents in America don't usually resort to murder and guillotines as a way of recruiting citizens, the debate between individualism and socialism rings loudly today.
"Marat/Sade" is a bloody depiction of both political and human struggle and asks whether suffering and revolution comes from changing society or changing one's own beliefs.
"Marat/Sade" brought playwright Peter Weiss widespread international attention and the legendary director Peter Brook staged a famous production in New York City the following year after the play premiered.
"The main premise of this play is that people always have to ask questions about their government and ask about what constitutes good leadership and when change in government is needed," Colin Murray, theater professor and director, said.
During this time period both America and France were going through revolutions. The play is set in the historical Charenton Asylum and the actors are the inmates. Nurses and supervisors occasionally step in to restore order among the ensuing chaos.
When Murray pitched this show to the faculty last year, the U.S. presidential campaign was still going on.
"There were many questions floating around about what a good leader is like and this question was on my mind because the same question is asked in this play," Murray said. "I don't consider the play to be a political statement in favor of an political opinion."