Sunday Salon – The Fence by Howard Barker

Explore classic and/or provocative plays and share live music. Each Salon is a unique and engaging assembly of Artists, Intellectuals, Provocateurs, Friends, and Family. We read, drink, eat, and let the discussion go where it will.

THE PLAY

The US-Mexico Border at Tijuana

Originally inspired in 2005 by the construction of a long distance “security” fence in Gaza meant to separate the Palestinians and Israelis, this powerful, provocative play continues to resonate nearly ten years later; not only regarding the on-going struggles in the Middle East but along our own US borderlands.

The Fence in its Thousandth Year is a play about power, deprivation, desire, and cultural conflict told through sometimes shocking imagery, dark humor, and arguably some of the richest poetic language in contemporary drama. The Fence wraps an epic tale of political-sexual scandal and its potentially catastrophic consequences around the story of a blind boy on a quest to understand his true identity in a world of forced segregation, illegal immigration, and shifting sands of Truth.

In all of its various manifestations — from the Great Wall of China through the Berlin Wall to the containment barriers in Gaza and the US/Mexico border wall — The Fence in its Thousandth Year is a metaphor for humanity’s timeless, ever-present compulsion to control what we don’t understand, our fear of and fascination with The Other, and our deep-seated instinct to define who we are and where we belong.

Join us for this unique opportunity to hear this provocative play from one of contemporary drama’s vanguard playwrights. To our knowledge, The Fence has never been produced in the United States (Barker’s plays rarely are), so this is something of a North American debut!

THE PLAYWRIGHT

Howard Barker

Howard Barker is a contemporary British playwright, founder and Artistic Director of The Wrestling School, and writer of nearly 100 works for the stage, radio, and TV. He coined the term “Theatre of Catastrophe” (see link below) to describe his work and has written several volumes of essays on the theatre and expounding his theory of drama. These include Arguments for a Theatre and Death, The One, and the Art of Theatre. His plays often explore violence, sexuality, and the desire for power.

More Info:

• About Howard Barker
• Theatre of Catastrophe

CAST: TBA

PHOTO, a Blind Adolescent
ALGERIA, A Duchess
ISTORIA, Friend to Algeria
DOORWAY, A Suitor
LOU, A Young Woman
KIDNEY, A Servant
YOUTERUS, A Blind Thief
CAMERA, A Blind Child

RSVP kindly requested!

READERS
We distribute the play digitally. For the Salon, please bring your own printed copy or a device to view the file. We have wifi.

FOOD is potluck. Please bring a dish and/or drink to share. Theme according to the play… or not!

SEATING is ample, but feel free to bring a cushion if you prefer the floor (it is carpeted).

ACCESSIBILITY: Our location has a lot of stairs to navigate (15 just to enter) and, unfortunately, no current access options to avoid them.

ADVISORY!

Due to the adult content, we request that children under age 14 not accompany parents to this particular Salon.

SCHEDULE 
4:00pm Arrivals. Mingling and food/drinks.
5:15-5:30pm Reading begins, to be followed by discussion.
10:00pm End time is a best guess. Leave when you need to; we allow the discussion to run its course.

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