 |
 |
|
| |
- THE POET FAUSTUS -
September 5
by Rebecca Coffey
Rebecca Coffey’s
work, Poet Faustus, is the latest version of
the classic myth based on the legends of a traveling German
Magician of the 1500’s. Dr. Johann Georg Faust earned a
degree from Heidelberg University in 1509, and then set
about creating a reputation for himself of an alchemist,
magician, trickster, charlatan and all around rascal . . .
oh, and he claimed to have talked and traded with,
Mephistopheles. Beelzebub. Satan. You know, the devil.
His story was first published in the 1500’s as a part of a
collection of a short biographies of famous and infamous
Germans. The story of Faustus caught on, and was
republished and rewritten over the next two centuries
numerous times, with Crisopher Marlowe (1604) and Johann
Goethe (1832) writing the two most famous versions.
Or did they?
The simplified plot format of Faust, a man selling his
soul to the devil for his heart’s desire, is practically
omni-present in the American Media-scape. Don’t believe
me? Check this out -
AN ALMOST COMPLETE LIST OF FAUSTIAN TALES!!
DRAMA
OPERA
CLASSICAL MUSIC
CONTEMPORARY
MUSIC
POETRY
PROSE
FICTION
FILMS
AND SCREENPLAYS
list courtesy of NationMaster
That’s a lot, huh? I think Ghost Rider and Star Wars
Episode III is a bit of a stretch, but it’s an impressive
list nonetheless, especially if you include every “selling
soul to devil” episode of every sitcom ever done. Think
about it, that’s a whole lotta Faust!
SO IF EVERYONE KNOWS THE STORY, WHY ARE TELLING IT AGAIN?
The weird part is, Ms. Coffey didn’t start off telling
a Faust story, she simply wanted to write something fun for
Deborah Basham-Burns, a friend of The Overtime Theater and
one of San Antonio’s favorite actors. She thought of
Deborah playing the part of God, and built from there.
After a workshop performance a year ago, Ms. Coffey has
revised, we have recast (except for Debbie of course!) and
we are ready for a full production. And that leads us to
the major difference between our Faust and the Fausts of
ages past.
THIS TIME, GOD IS MAKING THE DEALS!
Instead of the devil bargaining for our hero’s soul,
God emerges from the clouds to put her two cents in.
Coffey’s take of God and the way the universe works is worth
the price of admission alone. But it doesn’t stop there.
We meet modern poets, poet groupies, celebrity wranglers,
absinthe dealers and of course, Faustus Black, the poet who
makes the deal of a lifetime
Poet Faustus lampoons the modern poet,
celebrity, literature, and ourselves. Careening back and
forth from the hilarious to the poignant, you’ll find
yourself in Faustus’s shoes, asking your self the most
profound questions of our day:
At what price the human soul?
What is the meaning of life?
What’s the latest dish on Paris Hilton?
These questions and more will be asked in
POET
FAUSTUS.
A cool role playing game with Faust, devils and the devil’s dice!
http://www.gamecabinet.com/rules/DrFaust.html
1216
West Avenue
San
Antonio Texas, 78201
380-0326
Mapquest
|
|
| |
|
|
|
