Actors Repertory Theatre Luxembourg will present its next production: The Fever, by William Shawn at the Konrad Café and Bar (7 rue du Nord, L-2229 Luxembourg) on 12, 13, 15, 19, 20 and 22 October 2016 at 20:00.
A solo piece written in 1990, The Fever tells the story of a traveller whose journey to a poor country triggers a personal moral crisis. With searing language and Shawn’s trademark wit and humour, The Fever confronts and questions what it means to live in privilege in an era of economic disparity. In a January 2015 interview with Shawn during the play’s London revival, the Guardian described it as ‘a ferocious meditation on the inequities of global capitalism’.
The Fever will feature Christine Probst and Erik Abbott in alternating performances, which give the audience two different interpretations of both the play and the character.
Shawn’s production will take place at the Konrad Café on several dates in October. Erik Abbott will perform on 12, 15 and 20 October, whilst Catherine Probst will perform on 13, 19 and 22 October. Members of the audience will be able to order food and drinks before and after the show.
Peter Zazzali will direct. He has directed at theatres including The Actor’s Playhouse and Manhattan Repertory Theatre in New York, New Jersey Repertory Theatre, and the Texas Shakespeare Festival. In 2015 he directed The Good Doctor at the Western Australia Academy for Performing Arts in Perth, Australia, and earlier this year directed a sold-out production of Waiting for Godot at the Gardens Theatre in Brisbane. As an actor he has performed with theatres including The Acting Company, Target Margin Theatre, and the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Zazzali is also well-known as an actor trainer and theatre scholar.
The Fever was originally performed by Shawn himself in an apartment on the Upper West Side in New York City. He intended the piece to be one that could be performed anywhere, one of the qualities that makes it an excellent fit for a familiar and intimate setting such as Café Konrad. The play was revived in New York in 2007 and adapted by Shawn for a 2004 film version. The 2015 London production by the Almeida Theatre was staged in a suite at the Mayfair Hotel.
Tickets are €20 (Students €10) and will be available in advance at the Konrad Café. Reservations can also be made via email: moien@konradcafe.net.
Photo by Sarah Graham of Erik Abbott & Christine Probst in Flowers in the Desert in October 2015
