Daniel Welsh
Brian Spangler-Campbell
Melissa Bair
Morgan Stuntz
Ric Shoemaker
James Lujan
Directed by Andy Batt
227 North 3rd Street | Columbus, OH 43215 | 614.221.5418
Emile Zola claimed that art’s only true subject was the grimly realistic representation of ‘real life’. And thus, so began the naturalistic tradition of THE GRAND GUIGNOL. THE GRAND GUIGNOL is violent, bloody theatre. Originally running from 1897 to 1962 in Paris, France, THE GRAND GUIGNOL quickly gained a reputation for over the top bloodletting and gore. Routinely the audience fainted due to its gruesome and psychological thrills. The actors measured their success by the number of people who fainted every night. For a ‘hot and cold’ effect, theatre nights typically included campy comedy pieces interspersed with tragedy to keep the audience on their toes. By 1910, the theatre, originally a chapel, had become the best known tourist attraction after the Eiffel Tower. During its run, its patrons included the King of Greece, the Princess of Holland, and Ho Chi Minh, then a political refugee.
MadLab’s THE GRAND GUIGNOL 2003 featured RANDOM by Jeff Potts, THE IMMORTALITY DRUG by Jim Graham, THE LEASH ROUND THE RAINBOW’S MEOW by Kevin Lottes, RAISING THE STAKES by Lina Vitkauskaite, THE HAPPY LIFE OF WILTON COLLINS by Jim Graham, and DIVISION by Jeff Potts.
Oct. 16th-Nov. 8th, 2003
all shows at 8pm
Thursdays-Saturdays
$8-$15 regular admission
$8 students/seniors
