Rehearsals begin in Washington, DC for INVISIBLE MAN

By Lisa Timmel, Director of New Work

Monday nights are usually a night off for theatre folk, but last Monday night sixty or so artists, administrators, and patrons gathered at Studio Theatre in Washington, DC for the first rehearsal of the Huntington/Studio co-production of Invisible Man. After a buffet of barbecue chicken, sweet potato fries, and cornbread we gathered in the theatre for a welcome from Studio artistic director David Muse and remarks and presentations from the Invisible Man creative team. Muse spoke eloquently about how moved he was by the world premiere production that he saw last winter at Chicago's Court Theatre. This play, in his view, is a labor of love, a unique experience that captures the whole variety of style in the novel in theatrical form, and a remarkable feat of adaptation.

Teagle F. Bougere in Invisible Man, photo: Michael Brosilow

Director Chris McEleron assured everyone gathered that this ambitious new production would "kick our ass just as it did in Chicago, just as it will in Boston." Along with his projection designer, he emphasized that he novel and the play are reflections of the collective American experience. With an ensemble of nine actors, the set and costume design, as well as the projections, the production will create a mosaic of memories out of iconic, original and some contemporary images. With that, the cast assembled and read on into the night. When they were done, we left, exhausted and exhilarated.

We can't wait for this ambitious, important, fascinating play to get here.

The Huntington Theatre Company's production of INVISIBLE MAN by Oren Jacoby runs January 4 through February 3, 2013 on the Avenue of the Arts / BU Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115. Tickets and information here or call our Box Office at 617 266 0800.