Rameau’s Nephew

Rameau’s Nephew
by Shelly Berc and Andrei Belgrader from Le Neveu de Rameau by Denis Diderot
directed by Richard Henrich

featuring Robert Bowen Smith and Ian LeValley

Rameau’s Nephew was too hot to put into print when it was written (1761-1776), and author Denis Diderot allowed it to circulate only in manuscript. Musician, maniac, madcap, mimic… and genius all in one, the destitute nephew of the famous Rameau trades witticisms with a logical Philosopher, deconstructing his perfectly rationalized and orderly world with wildly antic energy. The Nephew transforms into an entire cast of hilarious characters as he sets each scene of his argument. Laughably witty, wise and thought-provoking, this physical comedy is a delight for the eyes and the mind.

“Why Rameau? Because it makes me laugh,” says director Henrich, “and because it’s about genius. I laugh at Rameau the mimic, who can’t describe a character without slipping into his skin and exuberantly becoming him – or her.”