Out There 2015 kicks off with the world premiere of a new Walker-commissioned work from award-winning playwright/director Richard Maxwell, known for his minimalist, unaffected direction. Tragic, comic, and unexpected, the elegiac and musical work probes the lives, desires, and dreams of three denizens of a dive bar—a fighter past his prime, his manager, and a bartender. The Evening unfolds with monologue, fiction, and live music as the story itself transforms into a living, breathing, autonomous thing.
Although rich with sublimated humor and magnified nuance, Maxwell’s theater works are noted for their non-emotive acting style coupled with an extreme form of neutrality in direction. Circular conversations, fractured silences, and dead-pan absurdity permeate his works, yet one never suspects lurking parody or satire. Instead, the result is a sophisticated, surprisingly moving rendering of the human condition laid bare.
World Premiere/Walker Commission
Meet the Artists
Postshow Reception
Thursday, January 8
Meet the artists after the show at a reception in the McGuire Theater’s Balcony Bar.
Postshow Q & A
Friday, January 9
Stay after the show for a Q&A with the artists and performing arts curators.
SpeakEasy
Saturday, January 10
After the performance, head to the Balcony Bar to join a discussion or just listen in as others hash it out. SpeakEasy conversations are hosted by a tour guide and members of the local performing arts community.