Synetic Theater will produce — and reimagine — the classics for its 2019-2020 season, reviving two of its most notable productions — The Tempest and The Snow Queen — and adding a classic from the Spanish Golden Age and a story drawn from a Gaston Lereux novel and made famous by an Andrew Lloyd Webber opera.
Synetic will open the season with a reprise of its innovative The Tempest, the last play which Shakespeare wrote by himself. Prospero, overthrown and exiled to an island wilderness by his own brother, has become a wizard. With control over the winds and waters, the wizard plots revenge, but he doesn’t count on his daughter falling in love. In this DCTS review of Synetic’s 2013 production, Susan Galbraith said, “Synetic Theater has delivered a blockbuster with its almost cinematic rendition of The Tempest.” She also noted a particular element of Synetic’s unique take: “Set Designer Anastasia R. Simes has created Synetic’s most ambitious set to date. There’s not only a full-stage pool floor-level but – with projections, hanging green tendrils, and falling water features – an entire aquatic universe. The only two stable objects in this world are a subterranean grotto with bars for doors (a red glowing devil’s lair and ‘home’ to Caliban,) and a half-rock half-piano that emerges as a most unusual musical instrument.” From September 25 to October 20, 2019; Synetic has not announced a director for this show.
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For the holidays, Synetic will stage Emily Whitworth’s adaptation of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Snow Queen, in which there is a giant mirror in the sky which permits you to see only ugliness. It shatters and a piece of it gets into the eye of young Kai. The hitherto happy lad turns bitter, and runs away from home to enter the palace of the evil Snow Queen. But this is really the story of his friend Gerda, who risks everything to follow him and bring him home. Reviewing the Synetic Family Theaters’ 2009 production of the show (Lilia Slavona adaptation), DCTS called it, “a heart-in-mouth drama for young people with a happy ending.” Ryan Sellers will direct this production, which will run from December 3 to the 29th of this year.
Synetic will kick off the new year with the grand and gothic Phantom of the Opera This is the tale of a deformed and bitter (perhaps he got some of that glass in his eye too) musician who lives hidden beneath the Paris Opera House. Unknown to her, he takes an interest in the young and beautiful opera star, Christine. Andrew Lloyd Webber adapted Lereux’ novel to great acclaim, but Synetic will perform its own adaptation, which it promises will be “physical”. From February 5 to March 1, 2020; no director has been announced.
The King has a son! But he has lost his wife in childbirth. Distraught, he reads the star charts — and realizes that his son and heir is destined to be a man of violence. He banishes his newborn son to a tower, to be watched over by a close friend. But as the years go by and the King has no more heirs, his throne stands to be inherited by one of two quarrelling cousins. So he decides to bring his son back, if only for a brief while, to see how he will do as a ruler. The result — well, it’s all in Pedro Calderón de la Basca’s Life is a Dream. Synetic’s production will be an adaptation by company member Elena Valasco. April 22 to May 20 of next year.
The Synetic season will close with a Vito Tsikurishvilli-directed comedy, to be announced.
