by Christopher Marlowe
directed by Claudia Bach
Set in a modern, internet-forum world, Faustus connects with some dangerous minds online and is dragged into a world of conspiracy, magic, and evil. After making a deal with a servant of Hell to unlock the truth and powers of the world, Faustus gets more than he bargained for when his payment comes due. On a backdrop of reddit, Qanon, and internet indoctrination, this production explores what it means to access the truth and to confront reality, whatever it may be.
Performances
Performances LIVE on Friday May 21 and Saturday May 22, 2021 at 8pm EDT at youtube.com/c/TheRudeMechanicals
Director’s notes
With a full year now to reflect on isolation and digital connection, the project of a modern, digital Doctor Faustus arose very naturally. But it wasn’t until the January 6 riots on the US Capitol that it all came together. Faustus is a man who is deeply frustrated and is desperate for any voice that offers him ultimate hidden truth, regardless if it goes everything that he knows to be good. This sounds very familiar to me, as one who reads stories of internet indoctrination of alt-right Americans feeding off the conspiracy theories from Qanon, reddit, and facebook. A nudge in the wrong direction, the promise of revealed secrets, and Faustus, like too many people, is willing to forsake all divinity. And that nudge isn’t from one leader necessarily, but a panoply of commenters, conspiracy theorists, and retweeters creating a vast echo chamber.
In order to really capture that idea of many voices, it became quickly clear that Mephistopheles should be played by many actors. It’s Faustus himself who suggests that Mephistopheles change his shape to be more appealing – and so he keeps doing, continually offering Faustus something new, some new angle, some new supposed truth.
Our cast does a fantastic job sharing this role, each providing their own take on their incarnation while creating a cohesive voice. And together with them, Faustus takes our “hero” on a journey from hopeful academic to irredeemable radicalized puppet, as we have seen happen to so many.
It is my hope that those watching this production can enjoy a modern take on the classic tale of a deal with the devil while considering the contemporary implications of collective conspiracy.
Reviews
“Director Claudia Bach has deftly choreographed what seems like hundreds of character changes, accompanied by different Zoom background graphics (among other things) to show off her cast to advantage.”
–Andrew White, MD Theatre Guide
Claudia H. Bach 