In May of 2012, The Straddler presented its third theatrical production, a staging of T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land, at The Cell Theater in Manhattan.
Written over a span of eight years and completed in 1922, The Waste Land was composed by Eliot in Europe in the midst and aftermath of World War I.
An outgrowth of “Send up da Clowns,” an essay published in our fall2008 issue, The Straddler‘s staging placed special emphasis on the role of Tiresias, a blind, half-man half-woman prophetic seer from Greek mythology. Combining the poem’s inherent theatricality with its satirical social criticism in a re-imagining that combined elements of vaudeville, melodrama, and the minstrel show, “The Waste Land” played for two weeks to enthusiastic audiences.
The production featured Carol Thomas as Tiresias, Todd Pate as The Sailor, and Greg Bennetts as The Musician.
Carol Thomas and Greg Bennetts in “The Waste Land,” 2012. photo: James Wrona
Todd Pate and Greg Bennetts in “The Waste Land,” 2012. photo: James Wrona
Carol Thomas and Greg Bennetts in “The Waste Land,” 2012. photo: James Wrona
Carol Thomas, Greg Bennetts, and Todd Pate in “The Waste Land,” 2012. photo: James Wrona
Todd Pate amd Greg Bennetts in “The Waste Land,” 2012. photo: James Wrona
Todd Pate, Carol Thomas, and Greg Bennetts in “The Waste Land,” 2012. photo: James Wrona
Carol Thomas, “Tiresias”
Todd Pate, “The Sailor”
Greg Bennetts, “The Musician”
Dan Monaco, Director
Ken Kusactay, Assistant Director
Ben Philipp, Costumes and Makeup
JaimeLee, Original Vocal Melody and Stylings
Mike Kutchman, Special Sound Production
Nicole Press, Technical Consultant
James Wrona, Production Photographer
