Here are some thoughts about Mr. Kolpert from our superb Dramaturgical team, Brian Myers and Ellen Walkley:
“Startling, jarring and unexpected, the antics in Mr. Kolpert have had a worldwide appeal. Since the first production in 2000 in London, Mr. Kolpert has been produced in 24 countries, from Iceland and Romania to Israel and New Zealand. The play was originally written in German, while Gieselmann was a resident playwright at the Royal Court, and first performed in English. In addition to this comedy, Gieselmann has written a translation of Edward II, a libretto for The Onyx Hotel and an award-winning play for children, About Boys. His blog, Popticker, follows popular music.”
“Mr. Kolpert shares with many absurdist plays a silence about the causes of or the remedies for the characters’ predicaments. As in Waiting for Godot or The Birthday Party, the action begins in an unexplained present and proceeds without arguing for a particular resolution to the characters’ underlying problems. In Mr. Kolpert, the characters become increasingly extreme in their efforts to put their world right, but Gieselmann allows the audience to relieve whatever discomfort it may have at these extremes through laughter. That discomfort may linger, however, leaving us to wonder about what makes us laugh and what makes us stop.”
Come find that wonder! Mr. Kolpert runs February 5- 27 at our home in Imago Theatre.
