Closetland
By Radha Bharadwaj, based on her 1991 screenplay
Directed by Gavin Hawk
Jul. 12 – 29, 2012
Thu. – Sat. 8pm, Sun. 4pm
Tickets: $24.50
Shimberg Playhouse, Straz Center for the Performing Arts
Winner!
- Creative Loafing Best of the Bay – Best Actor Reader's Poll – David M. Jenkins
After a successful run of David Mamet's Race, which engaged bay area theatergoers in a powerful dialogue in and out of the theater, Jobsite hopes to do the same with a story dealing with human rights, censorship, and the enduring power of the human spirit: Closetland.
In an unnamed country, in unspecified times, a man purporting to be the government's representative (David M. Jenkins) interrogates a female author of children's fiction (Katrina Stevenson) on the grounds that her harmless story of children and farm animals, Closet Land, is politically subversive.
This begins Radha Bharadwaj's powerful and terrifying play that ultimately links political, state-sponsored violence with intimate, personal abuse, asserting that both forms of violence stem from the self-same root. This work explores the psychological landscape of those who engage in torture and aggression, while also defining the nature of courage and resistance. Its gripping, unflinching scrutiny of both, and its sweep and power, earned the film that the play was based on (also by Bharadwaj) the status of a cult classic.
Click to enlarge
Longtime fans of Jobsite can expect an intense two-person production that hearkens to previous successes: The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh and Harold Pinter's One for the Road.
Bharadwaj won special kudos for capturing the nature of violence and violence against a woman, in particular, without resorting to exploitative gore. She trusts the viewer's imagination to fill in the blanks, and the viewer is, in turn, left with a deeper understanding of why some human beings violate others – and why some manage to soar above the abuse.
Jobsite is currently working with several organizations that deal in abuse and human rights and plans on working with as many as possible during the run of the show, including another post-show public forum. The post-show forum after Race was a highly successful event, and the company is still receiving feedback and requests for more information from attendees and non-attendees alike. More details on the partnerships and public forum to come as soon as all details are finalized.
Warning
Closetland contains adult language, subject matter, and some staged violence is intended for adult audiences only.
Spring Collection Drive
Jobsite is hosting a collection drive during the run of Closetland to benefit The Spring of Tampa Bay. We will accept the following items in front of the theater Thu. – Sat. nights between 7 and 8pm, and Sun. afternoons from 3 to 4pm.
The items in need are:
- New children's clothing
- Personal hygiene products
- Health and beauty aids
- Diapers
About the Artists
Closetland is directed by A Simple Theater's Artistic Director Gavin Hawk, and features Jobsite Producing Artistic Director David M. Jenkins and Artistic Associate Katrina Stevenson.
Closetland features designs by Stevenson (costumes), Brian Smallheer (lights and set) and Hawk (sound).
See more about the cast and crew.
The Guys | Quills | The 39 Steps
Hot Nights for the War Wives of Ithaka | Race | Closetland