ASTREA CAMPBELL-COBB, Fern Beede and Caleb Lacy, from left, appear in a scene from Ziggurat Theatre Ensemble’s production of “Aquitania,” which opens July 6 at Bowdoinham Town Hall.
T he Ziggurat Theatre Ensemble, which presented “Fafalo” as its inaugural production in 2011, follows last summer’s debut with “Aquitania,” a comic fantasy with music.
A Ziggurat Theatre Ensemble release describes the production as follows:
When it first premiered in 2001, critics raved that “Aquitania” was “nothing less than a feast of dance, music, classic storytelling and visual bravura that will dazzle” (LA Weekly).
Written and directed by Stephen Legawiec with choreography by Dana Wieluns Legawiec, “Aquitania” features a cast of professional Maine actors and singers in a surreal landscape of music, mystery and magic. This Ziggurat Theatre Ensemble production is presented by the Merrymeeting Arts Center.
A shy librarian receives a letter summoning her to the remote kingdom of Aquitania. Upon her arrival, she meets an eccentric royal family desperate to save their kingdom from an evil, bowler-hatted villain. A hidden doorway through a mountain, magic cake, a lost ring and a child’s game hold the secrets that our heroine must uncover as she adopts a new kind of logic to save the day. Adding to the magic, a trio of beautiful sirens enchants the characters with a jazzy score of French songs.
“I wanted to write an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ story for grown-ups,” Stephen Legawiec said in the release. “Here, a librarian, whose beliefs are rooted in science and cold hard facts, finds herself in a place where the laws of her world do not apply.”
Performed in Ziggurat’s signature style of heightened physicality, the mesmerizing movement is punctuated by outbursts of hilarious physical comedy and clowning.
“I am so excited to work with this talented and dedicated group of local actors, and to present this enjoyable theatrical experience in Bowdoinham, just in time for the town’s 250th anniversary,” Stephen Legawiec said in the release.
The cast features Fern Beede, Astrea Campbell-Cobb, Jacob Cote, Lilly Victoria Gardiner, Carolyn Glaude, Rachel Kodweis, Brandon Johnson, Caleb Lacy, Dana Wieluns Legawiec, Stephen Legawiec, Kathleen Nation, Zoe Raphael, Melody Stolpp and Michael Dix Thomas.
Musical direction is by Rachel Kodweis. Tessa Kingsley and Robert Velasquez designed the costumes. JP Gagnon serves as lighting designer. Technical direction is by Stacia Saniuk. Cat Ballou provides stage management.
All performances take place in Bowdoinham Town Hall, 13 School St. Shows start at 7:30 p.m. July 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14, as well as 5 p.m. July 8 and 15.
Tickets cost $20 for adults, $15 for students, seniors and veterans and $10 for children younger than 12. Due to its sophisticated content and running time, “Aquitania” is not recommended for children younger than 6.
For more information, visit www.ziggurattheatre.org.
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