Following enthusiastic reviews, The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) will extend the world premiere of IDIOT SAVANT, written and directed by Richard Foreman, through Sunday, December 20. Presented in association with Ontological-Hysteric Theater, IDIOT SAVANT began previews October 27 and was originally scheduled to close on Sunday, December 13.
"Idiot Savant is a masterful work, and I am delighted that the audience has responded with such an appetite for it!" said Public Theater Artistic Director Oskar Eustis.
The cast features Willem Dafoe as the title character with Alenka Kraigher as Marie; Elina Löwensohn as Olga; and Joel Israel, Eric Magnus, and Daniel Allen Nelson as Servants.
Marie asks the Idiot Savant, "But what makes chosen words - magic?" What follows is a wild theatrical odyssey that could only have sprung from the fantastical mind of Richard Foreman, New York's legendary avant-garde genius. This new work is a philosophical comedy, in the great tradition of Ionesco and Preston Sturges. From precise existential and metaphysical acrobatics, to a ridiculous game of inter-species golf with a Giant Duck, IDIOT SAVANT is a fresh, bracing and hilarious exploration of the boundaries of the legitimate.
IDIOT SAVANT features scenic design by Peter Ksander and Richard Foreman; costume design by Gabriel Berry; lighting design by Heather Carson; and sound design by Travis Just.
Richard Foreman (Playwright and Director) returns to The Public, where he has directed The Threepenny Opera (1977), Penguin Touquet (1981), Three Acts of Recognition (1982), Don Juan (1982), Egyptology: My Head Was A Sledgehammer (1983), The Golem (1984), Large Desolato (1986), What Did He See? (1988), and Venus (1996). The Founder and Director of Ontological-Hysteric Theater since 1968, he has written, directed and designed more than 50 of his own plays in New York City and abroad. Among his honors are 10 OBIE Awards (five for Best Play, five for Best Director, and one for Sustained Achievement); a MacArthur "Genius" fellowship; a Guggenheim fellowship; the Literature Award from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters; a Lifetime Achievement Award in the Theater from the National Endowment for the Arts; the PEN Club Master American Dramatist Award; and election to the Order of Arts and Letters of France.
Willem Dafoe (Idiot Savant) is a two-time Academy Award nominee for his performances in Shadow of the Vampire (2001) and Platoon (1987). Among his numerous film credits are The Last Temptation of Christ, Mississippi Burning, Wild at Heart, The English Patient, American Psycho, Clear and Present Danger, the Spider-Man trilogy, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, and upcoming films Antichrist and Daybreakers. He is a founding member of the legendary experimental theater company The Wooster Group.
Joel Israel (Servant) has appeared in Richard Foreman's plays Deep Trance Behavior in Potatoland and Wake Up Mr. Sleepy! Your Unconscious Mind Is Dead! He recently performed in and created the audio performance art piece Reluctant at the HERE Arts Center.
Alenka Kraigher(Marie). Her theater credits include Lust (HB Studio) and Leaves of Grass (The Cell Theatre). She has appeared in the films The Slovenian Girl, Kuriosity, and The Rooster's Breakfast.
Elina Lowensohn(Olga). Her film and television credits include Schindler's List, Nadja, I'm Not Rappaport, Basquiat, The Wisdom of Crocodiles, "Seinfeld," A Very Long Engagement, Dark Water, and the HAl Hartley films Flirt, Simple Men, Amateur, and Fay Grim.
Eric Magnus (Servant) most recently appeared in Richard Foreman's play Astronome: A Night At The Opera at the Ontological-Hysteric Theater.
