2131 W. Cuyler #1
Chicago, IL 60618
Ph: (773) 879-4610
Email: hall@wneptheater.org

DIRTY BIBLE STORIES
Written by Seth Fisher, Jenny
Seidelman, and Dave Stinton

Directed by Emily Dugan

Original Run
Fridays & Saturdays at 10:30PM
February 7 thru March 8

Read the Chicago Reader Calendar Article!

The All-Seeing Judge of the Isrealites, Deborah (Amanda Coen) swoons


Jesus the Healer (Chris Zumwalt) explains his woe to Jeremiah (Susan Schuckman)


The Fig Tree

DIRTY BIBLE STORIES


Jesus of Nazereth (Jason Powers) raises Lazerus from the grave

written by Seth Fisher, Dave Stinton, and Jenny Seidelman explores six of the most disturbing stories from the Bible - from the sexually explicit Lot and his daughters to the hyper-violent homicides of Josiah to the ghoulish resurrection of Lazarus - and view them through the fractured lens of 20th Century American iconography.


Adam gets a taste of knowledge

Directed by Emily Dugan, DIRTY BIBLE STORIES utilized the process of the actors improvising a number of biblical tales after app. five weeks of intense study of between ten and fifteen versions of the Bible. The writers observed the improvisations and wrote scripts utilizing dialogue and scenic ideas the actors came up with. Using disparate theatrical genres, music, puppetry, and video, DIRTY BIBLE STORIES takes the piety away from the stories in the most controversial book ever written and presents them as what they were before all the hoopla came along - tales of villainy, debauchery, violence, and seriously misguided judgment.

“...this often delightful improv-originated retelling of supposedly shocking tales from the good book...its writers and improvisers prove how close dirtiness is to godliness...”

“In Seth Fisher's loopy contemporary treatment, Lot - a family man who made the mistake of dwelling in the iniquitous Twin Cities - escapes the wrath of two testy angels only to be drugged and raped by his daughters. (Even playfully retold, this is beyond cable TV.) Perfectly cloning VH1, Jenny Seidelman's "Behind the Apostle" exposé of Paul comes complete with impressive video graphics and a hilarious turn by Ron Kuzava as the inevitable rock drummer who got dumped. Dave Stinton's "The Fig Tree" gives Chris Zumwalt the chance to play a Jesus sick of being marketed for miracles. Seidelman's "Deborah" - wonderfully done in clipped film noir style - pays homage to a wily hard-boiled prophetess (Amanda Cohen) who seemingly defeats the Canaanites with wisecracks. The best is last: Stinton's minimusical "Josiah," which peppers the usual lesson of fidelity to Yahweh with melodically enthralling production numbers.”
-- Chicago Reader

CAST:
(LtoR) Homer Marrs, Jason Powers, Peter De Giglio,
Amanda Cohen, Susan Schuckmann, Sara Wolfson,
Ron Kuzava, Chris Zumwalt.