The Beggar's Opera

The Beggar's Opera, by Czech President and dissident playwright Vaclav Havel, is a free-wheeling, highly politicized adaptation of John Gay's well-known 1728 work, later adapted as The Threepenny Opera by Bertolt Brecht and composer Kurt Weill in 1928.

Havel, a playwright, essayist, and dissident was the last president of Czechoslovakia and the first president of the Czech Republic. His adaptation was created to give voice to his opposition to Communist intervention in Czechoslovakia. It keenly satirizes government intrusion, using an underworld milieu to explore the intermingled themes of love, loyalty, and treachery.

"I came across 'The Beggar's Opera' via Tom Stoppard's 'Rock and Roll,' a recent Broadway production," says Heartwood's Artistic Director Griff Braley. "His postscript notes mentioned the influence of Havel - a character on the world's stage that I found that I knew little about. While not typically a fan of overt social theater, I found a dense, clever, potentially haunting voice in Wilson's translation of this out of print play. Under pressure from the Communist threat to his county, Havel seemed to have raised his mind above the simplicity of a two sided debate: looking for a truth beyond the politics, concerned for his county, darkly amused by the goings on. This resonated for me in the atmosphere of the last two years. I'm proud of this ensemble for working through the complexity."

Readers are Kevin Kiley, John Adams, Alison Machaiek, Joe McGrann, Nancy-Grace Dersham, Nancy Durgin, Peter Christine, Laurie Brown, Earl Inman, Deb Arter, Nick Buck and Maggie Machaiek. 

These performances of The Beggar's Opera are part of Heartwood's "Page-to-Stage Festival" at Skidompha Library in Damariscotta, which runs from January 13-30. For more information or to make reservations, please contact the Heartwood Regional Theater Company box office at boxoffice@heartwoodtheater.org.

THE BEGGAR'S OPERA

Friday, January 14, 2011 at 7:30 PM
Sunday, January 16, 2011 at 3:00 PM
Saturday, January 22, 2011 at 3:00 PM
Thursday, January 27, 2011 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, January 29, 2011 at 7:30 PM

View full Page to Stage Festival schedule