Gwen
Grastorf
Directed by Mark Jaster and Sabrina Selma Mandell
Devised by Happenstance Theater
With Gwen Grastorf, Caleb Jaster, Mark Jaster, Sabrina Selma Mandell, Sarah Olmsted Thomas, and Alex Vernon
BAROCOCO dives into the late Baroque and flaunts 18th century finery, wigs, panniers, gestural styling, elaborate ornamentation and the excesses of Rococo in this unique physical comedy. A charming and charismatic six-person ensemble exposes an indulgent aristocratic lifestyle precariously perched on the edge of its extinction. One percent pomposity is punctured in this delightful comedy of manners.
HAPPENSTANCE THEATER, founded in 2006, is a professional company committed to devising, producing and touring original, performer-created visual, poetic Theatre. Our ensemble has been developing work together since 2012. We are multi-talented performers who craft all aspects of our pieces from concept to realization. Under the Artistic co-Direction of Mark Jaster and Sabrina Mandell, we harvest imagery from the past and re-contextualize it in performances that address eternal themes of life, death, and the ephemeral. With the simplest means - movement, silence, theatrical clown, music, text, physical comedy and beauty - we seek to elevate the moment when the performers and audience meet, to lift the encounter beyond the daily and pedestrian into the realms of dreams, poetry, and art. Meaning is often discovered by happenstance.
Read more at: https://www.happenstancetheater.com/
"A delightfully giddy hour of 18th century-styled frivolity speckled with just a twinge of satire”
"The members of Happenstance Theater are so adept at what they do that they turn tomfoolery into an art form.” - Talkin' Broadway
"C'est merveilleux!" - DC Metro Theater Arts
"Outrageous feats of physical comedy"
"There is plenty of delicious humor to chew on” - New York Times
"A tasty little eat-the-rich hors d'oeuvre” - Time Out