Bertold Brecht's Searing Black Comedy Revived
Originally intended to mirror Hitler and fascism's rise to power in the early 1900s, Bertold Brecht's blank verse allegorical satire 'The Resistible Rise Of Arturo Ui' is remarkably timeless, and whilst set in 1930s Chicago, makes for terrifying significance in today's troubled times. Director John Doyle and the Classic Stage Company revive the rousing tale this fall, starring Tony nominated stage and TV actor Raul Esparza (Taboo, Speed The Plow) as the titular bumbling mob boss.
Black comedy is the order of the day in a city plagued by gangsters, protection rackets and corruption. Once a renowned criminal Arturo Ui is no longer talked about by the press and people aren't afraid as they used to be. Determined to set this to rights and secure a legacy that lives on in infamy, Ui and his band of hoodlums attempt to take over the cauliflower trade. With double-dealing cabinet ministers in his pocket and an army of vicious thugs, it's almost to easy to bring Chicago to its knees...