The Grand guignol 1995
The Grand Guignol 1995
by Eric Myers
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 1995 featured 30 short plays performed in 60 minutes of random order as decided by the audience.
by Eric Myers
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 1995 featured 30 short plays performed in 60 minutes of random order as decided by the audience.
SHOWTIMES
October, 1995
All shows at 8pm Thursdays-Saturdays |
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