Presented by the Getty Villa Museum and Deaf West Theatre, Medusa: The Musical brings to life the epic showdown between Perseus and Medusa in a musical fantasy told in Deaf West Theatre’s signature style of signing and singing.
Recognized as the premier sign language theater in the U.S., Deaf West Theatre performances feature deaf and hearing actors joined onstage to tell stories in a seamless ballet of movement. American Sign Language (ASL) and spoken—and sung—English are interwoven with music, dance, and storytelling techniques from both hearing and deaf cultures into a “third language,” creating a unique and groundbreaking theatrical experience.
In this first look at a new theatrical piece, Medusa: The Musical features witty storytelling by playwright William Nedved, an expressive score by composer Kentaro Kameyama (the Project Runway winner also providing cutting-edge costumes), and inventive staging from frequent Deaf West Theatre collaborator and Disney+ Encore director Coy Middlebrook.
The young, reluctant—and deaf—hero Perseus embarks on a perilous quest to slay the snake-haired Medusa. But this particular diva is more than meets the eye—if you dare read her lips.
Medusa: The Musical is part of the Villa Theater Lab series, featuring workshop performances of new translations of Greek and Roman plays as well as contemporary works inspired by ancient literature. Upcoming in the series is Cowboy Elektra by Rogue Artists Ensemble in January 2020, which will feature original saloon songs by Z. Lupetin of the Dustbowl Revival, a nearly all-female ensemble, vintage puppetry and multimedia visuals.
Also, upcoming at the Villa in February 2020 is a staged reading of Tony-nominee and MacArthur Fellow Sarah Ruhl’s play, Eurydice (2003) followed by a conversation with the acclaimed playwright and the score’s composer, Matthew Aucoin about the process of translating theater to opera. Selections from the opera’s libretto will be performed by LA Opera.
Performances of Medusa: The Musical take place in the Villa Auditorium on Saturday, November 16, 2019, at 3:00pm and 7:30pm, and on Sunday, November 17 at 3:00pm.
Tickets are $7 and available by calling (310) 440–7300 or at the Villa Theater Lab.
All performances will be performed with spoken/sung English and American Sign Language.
The cast includes Allison Beteta, Michael Carter, Josh Castille, David Castillo, Milena Gligic, Natasha Ofili, Sharon Pierre-Louis, Gabriel Silva, Sarah Tubert, and George Xavier.
About Deaf West Theatre
Founded in Los Angeles in 1991, Deaf West Theatre engages artists and audiences in unparalleled theater experiences inspired by Deaf culture and the expressive power of sign language, weaving ASL with spoken English to create a seamless ballet of movement and voice. Committed to innovation, collaboration and training, DWT is the artistic bridge between the deaf and hearing worlds. Past productions include The Solid Life of Sugar Water, Our Town, in a co-production with the Pasadena Playhouse; Edward Albee’s At Home at the Zoo, in a co-production with the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts; Spring Awakening, which transferred from Inner-City Arts to the Wallis and then to Broadway (three Tony Award nominations including Best Revival); American Buffalo (Los Angeles Times “Critic’s Choice”); Cyrano, a co-production with the Fountain Theatre (Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Production); Big River (Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle and Backstage Garland awards for Best Musical in its L.A. premiere, Tony nomination and four Drama Desk Awards on Broadway); Pippin, produced at the Mark Taper Forum in a co-production with Center Theatre Group; Sleeping Beauty Wakes, also a co-production with CTG, presented at the Kirk Douglas Theatre; Oliver! (Ovation Award for Best Musical); and A Streetcar Named Desire (Ovation Award for Best Play). In 2005, DWT was selected to receive the Highest Recognition Award by the Secretary of Health and Human Services for its “distinguished contributions to improve and enrich the culture lives of deaf and hard of hearing actors and theater patrons”. DJ Kurs is Artistic Director and Deborah Reed is the Business Manager.