Not a bedtime fairy story...

INSURGO THEATER MOVEMENT begins a new theatrical residency at the EROTIC HERITAGE MUSEUM with Erotic Shakespeare: A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM

"The lunatic, the lover and the poet are of imagination all compact."

Theseus was a pillaging conquering warrior that literally abducted women. Demetrius is still possessed at the plays resolution. Oberon's description of the love flower is that it will make a person "madly dote on the next living thing it sees"...

These and other ideas are at the core of EROTIC SHAKESPEARE: A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM, the first in a series of offerings from Insurgo Theater Movement (ITM) at the Erotic Heritage Museum (EHM). The classically lighthearted romantic comedy that centers around mistaken identity among four lovers and domestic mischief in fairyland gets a startling erotic makeover starting July 17th.To hear the adapters talk though, the show has been that way all along. 

"Shakespeare's legacy is crafted in our minds as a result of productions of his plays that we have seen. as a result of teaching handed down through the schools, and not usually as a personal examination of the script," begins John Beane, director of the production. 

"When we do inspect it we realize the Midsummer Nights Dream is not a comedy per se. This is a tale in four interweaving threads that all contain comedy, yes, but at least as much sex, betrayal, tragedy love - and indeed some of the darkest forces man can generate."

"Every tragedy is tempered with comedy, every comedy with very real repercussions. Shakespeare himself did not neatly arrange his plays into the comedies,histories, tragedies - that came later. The fact is that if you think about Shakespeare's couples throughout his plays - especially the comedies - with even a tenth of the subtlety that Shakespeare exhibited in writing them, you cannot reasonably expect that these relationships all end well. Throughout the canon we have one relationship after another based in lies, magical possession, trickery, domination, property dealings...manipulations galore."

"The erotic nature of the play is obvious - four young lovers in the woods on pain of death, a fairy queen possesed and basically having sex with a fool turned into a donkey, a struggle of dominance between Theseus and Hippolyta...every type of love and attraction is represented - filial, unrequited, power plays, young "pure love", voyeurs, exhibitionists, hedonists, jealousies. The woods are this classically elemental, churning symbol for change and coming of age. No one leaves the woods as they came in."

The combined artistic vision between ITM and EHM is a dynamic conduit for uncensored expression, states Dr. Laura Henkel, Resident Curator and Artistic/Programmatic Director for the EHM. We are very pleased to have the extraordinary talents of John Beane and his theatrical ensemble to present Midsummer Nights Dream  uncensored, raw and powerful.

Erotic Shakespeare:

A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM
Director: John Beane
Assistant: Daneal Doerr
Stage Manager: Mary Catherine Harvey
Lights: Dale Ripingill
Sound: Sandy Stein
Choreography: Jenna Wurtzberger
Costume: John Beane/Denda Brink

Cast:
BOTTOM: Ernie Curcio
TITANIA: Mindy Woodhead
OBERON: Tony Foresta
PUCK: Brandon Jones
HELENA: Rosalie Miletich
HERMIA: Candice McCallum
LYSANDER: Michael Kimm
DEMETRIUS: Jason Nino
QUINCE/EGEUS: Gabriel Gentile
FLUTE: Jeremy Nino
SNUG/COBWEB: Breon Jenay
THESEUS: Geo Nikols
HIPPOLYTA: Megan Koumis
SNOUT/FORESTER: Kevin Matthews
PEASEBLOSSOM: Michelle Myers

** FOR MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY**
The ideas in this production continues work first began in the Insurgo production at the Onyx Theatre, who we would like to thank for all their previous help in the development of this project.

About the Insurgo Theater Movement
Hailed as "intimately related to the betterment for a quickly evolving Las Vegas theater status quo" and "wild west avante-garde theatre", the EHM is a non-profit organization dedicated to an exploration the theatrical form including classics, alternative and original works. In 2009 the group was awarded Best of Vegas from the Review Journal. In 2008 the company won the Best of Las Vegas title from City Life newspaper.

About the Erotic Heritage Museum
Voted Best of Vegas from the Review Journal and #1 Pick to “Get Cultured” by 944 Magazine, EHM’s rotating exhibits bridge the gap between that which is considered pornographic and that which is considered art. With its mission of sex education through the arts, the nonprofit Museum encompasses over 17,000 square feet of permanent and featured exhibits designed to preserve wonders of the erotic imagination as depicted through the artistic expression of acts of sex and love. EHM is dedicated to the belief that sexual pleasure and fun are natural aspects of the human experience, that such pleasure must be made available to all, and that our individual sexuality belongs to each of us. If you have not been to the EHM, you have not been to Las Vegas.

FACT SHEET
Production: A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM
Presented by: The Insurgo Theater Movement @ The Erotic Heritage Museum
Showtimes/dates: July 17th – August 7th 
Fridays at 1030pm,
Saturdays at 8PM
Symposium on Erotic Shakespeare on July 23, 2010, 6pm.
Tickets: $25 suggested donation to Erotic Heritage Museum
Reservations and information: www.insurgotheater.org or 702-771-7331

John Beane, Director of Insurgo Theater
insurgotheater.org

Laura Henkel, Curator, EHM
Eroticheritagemuseum.org