FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Combustible Company presents a new staging of
Eugene O’Neill’s
The Hairy Ape
Directed by Kym Longhi
November 10th - 18th, 2023
Center for Performing Arts
3754 Pleasant Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55409
MINNEAPOLIS, MN — OCTOBER 18, 2023 — A new staging of Eugene O’Neill’s classic explores the connections between the rage of the working class, the need for belonging and the nihilism of MAGA world. It speaks with an eerie resonance to the world of 2023 as much as when it was first produced in 1922.
Yank is in a crisis of belonging. A soot-blackened laborer who works all day to fuel the steamship that carries elite passengers, Yank struggles to understand who he is and where he belongs. Inspired by the equality proposed in the Declaration of Independence, Yank believes he is the equal of anyone. But a devastating encounter suggests otherwise. His search for belonging and dignity becomes a journey of alienation that leads him to a startling conclusion.
O’Neill’s lyrical prose combined with Combustible Company’s powerful physical ensemble will transport you from the fiery bowels of a steamship in 1922 through time to our present day.
ENSEMBLE
Combustible Company veterans Renee Howard Hatton, Erik Hoover, and Anna Pladson are joined by Kaleb Baker, Michael DiPrima, Nick Likens, Nick Miller as Yank, and Alice Wenzlow.
FROM DIRECTOR, KYM LONGHI
“Although Eugene O’Neill wrote the play in 1922, Yank feels like a very contemporary character to me. I was immediately struck by the resonance of Yank’s deep grievance and nihilism to our current social and political situation. America is in a crisis of meaning that has polarized us socially and politically. Beyond its commentary on industrialization and class rage, I believe this play is a cautionary tale about the devastating effects of social isolation.The surgeon general has declared loneliness a national epidemic. White middle-aged men account for 70% of deaths from suicide and nine-tenths of them are from a lower socio-economic class. Yank’s desperate odyssey asks us to consider the humanity of those who feel irrelevant in our changing world with greater compassion, and to find ways to reach beyond our own mental cages - lest we all suffer the fate of the hairy ape.”
CREATIVE TEAM
Lighting design by Paul Epton
Sound design by Micah Kopecky
Video design by Jim Peitzman (Herocycle, Bluebeard’s Dollhouse, Monster Heart).
ABOUT COMBUSTIBLE COMPANY
Combustible Company is a TwinCities-based theater company founded in 2013 that uses actors’ physicality to create visceral performances to spark the imagination and ignite conversation. Combustible Company’s inaugural production, Herocycle, was named among the best shows of 2013 by City Pages and Lavender Magazine, the latter of which also listed the show’s actors (Erik Hoover and Jim Peitzman) among their Outstanding Performances of the Year. Their original work has been hailed by John Townsend as “an enthralling theatrical experience, unique and classical at the same time.
The Hairy Ape is Combustible Company’s sixth evening-length production.
TICKETS
General admission tickets are $28 and a limited number of $15 economic accessibility tickets are available for each performance. Tickets are available at https://bit.ly/TheHairyApe
GENERAL INFO
combustiblecompany.org
EVENT
The Hairy Ape by Eugene O’Neill
PESS KIT
Photos and logo assets: https://bit.ly/404bSEE
DATES
November 10th - 18th
VENUE
Center for Performing Arts
3754 Pleasant Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55409
SUMMARY
A new staging of Eugene O’Neill’s classic explores the connections between the rage of the working class, the need for belonging and the nihilism of MAGA world. O’Neill’s lyrical prose combined with Combustible Company’s powerful physical ensemble will transport you from the fiery bowels of a steamship in 1922 through time to our present day.
PERFORMANCE DATES
Friday, November 10th, 7:30pm — Opening Night
Saturday, November 11th, 7:30pm
Sunday, November 12th, 2:00pm
Monday, November 13th, 7:30pm —Pick Your Price Performance
Thursday, November 16th, 7:30pm — ASL Interpreted and Audio-Described
Friday, November 17th, 7:30pm
Saturday, November 18th, 7:30pm — Closing Night
###