RATS AND POLITICS TOGETHER?
WHO EVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING!
In the wildly entertaining and mind-bending Symphony of Rats, which I had the pleasure of experiencing at REDCAT in Los Angeles last October, the President of the United States embarks on a surreal journey filled with phantasmagorical encounters. Flanked by his presidential aides, he navigates a series of bizarre incidents, including a memorable meeting with a giant rat delivering a cryptic message. Directed by Elizabeth LeCompte and Kate Valk, this genre-defying production blends singing, daring stunts, and mesmerizing multi-screen visuals. It’s a surreal thrill-ride that perfectly reflects the era in which it was conceived: the Ronald Reagan presidency.
Niall Cunningham, Andrew Maillet
Ari Fliakos, Andrew Maillet, Jim Fletcher, Guillermo Resto
Drawing from a diverse array of literary and cinematic influences—including William Blake, D.H. Lawrence, and Charlie Chaplin–Rats, now playing at The Performing Garage in Soho through February 8, leans into sci-fi satire rather than heavy-handed political critique. The narrative centers on a president receiving mysterious messages from outer space, accompanied by a disoriented team of aides who flit between aimlessness and sudden musical outbursts. Shifting fluidly between the apocalyptic and the mundane, The Wooster Group delivers a sharp exploration of how technology challenges and redefines what it means to be human.
Ari Fliakos, Niall Cunningham, and Guillermo Resto
First staged in 1988 under the direction of avant-garde pioneer Richard Foreman—who sadly passed away on January 4—Rats has been reimagined by The Wooster Group as an entirely new work. They’ve transformed Foreman’s original text into verse, layering it with dazzling technological artistry. This brilliantly inventive and thoroughly entertaining production, highlighted by standout performances and breathtaking sound and video design, is undoubtedly one of the must-see theatrical events of the season.
The performers are Niall Cunningham, Jim Fletcher, Ari Fliakos, Andrew Maillet, Michaela Murphy, and Guillermo Resto. The production design is by LeCompte. Sound design and original music are by Eric Sluyter, with songs featuring music by Suzzy Roche. Video design is by Yudam Hyung Seok Jeon with Maillet; the lighting design is by Jennifer Tipton and Evan Anderson; and the costumes are by Antonia Belt. The full ensemble includes: Matthew Dipple (dramaturg), Tavish Miller (technical director), Aaron Amodt (production manager), Clay Hapaz (archivist), Monika Wunderer (general manager), and Cynthia Hedstrom (producer).
Michaela Murphy, Ari Fliakos, Jim Fletcher, Guillermo Resto
photos by Angel Origgi and Keetja Allard
Symphony of Rats
The Wooster Group
Tues-Fri at 7:30; Sat at 3 and 7:30 pm
approximately 75 minutes
The Performing Garage, 33 Wooster Street in SoHo
for general admission tickets ($39-$79), call 212.966.9796 or visit Wooster
Then beginning March 8, 2025 is the US premiere of the Group’s latest piece, Nayatt School Redux, which reanimates Nayatt School, an original 1978 Wooster Group piece. Nayatt School was composed by LeCompte and Spalding Gray. It was the third part of their trilogy, beginning with Sakonnet Point (1975) and Rumstick Road (1977), that was based on Gray’s autobiography. The text of Nayatt School included sections from T.S. Eliot’s play The Cocktail Party and featured Gray’s first foray into the monologue form, launching his influential career as a monologist.
In his Nayatt School monologue, Gray described his beginnings in the theater and played LPs from his theatrical record collection, including an LP of The Cocktail Party. Nayatt School culminated in staged scenes from Eliot’s play, performed by Gray, Ron Vawter, Libby Howes, Joan Jonas, and four children.
Directed by LeCompte, Nayatt School Redux begins with a new monologue from Valk. She reveals newly-restored archival video recordings of Gray in the original production and tells her own story of how she came to work with the company in the late 1970s. Then Valk and the Group’s current company channel the final scenes from the original production, deepening its exploration of Eliot’s text.
Nayatt School Redux
March 8-29, 2025
Wed- Sat at 8; Sat at 3:30
approximately 80 minutes
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