Synaesthetic Theatre Announces the International Debut of The Trial of K

New York, NY (PRWEB) May 31, 2007 -- Synaesthetic Theatre, a Brooklyn based multimedia theatre collective, has been invited to perform their original play noir The Trial of K at the International Arts Festival of Castilla y Leon, on June 3, 2007 at the Teatro Caja Duero in Salamanca, Spain. The production originally premiered off-off Broadway in 2005 at the Culture Project's 45 Below Theatre in lower Manhattan.

The International Arts Festival of Castilla y Leon is an initiative supported by the Cultural and Tourism department of the Regional Government of Castilla y Leon in Spain. Silvia Clemente Municio, Minister of Culture and Tourism comments "Over sixteen days, the International Arts Festival will give us the opportunity to gather together art and cultural tradition, creative skills and genius in an urban setting. This event was born with a clear cut aim: opening up to the latest ways of expressing and feeling art and culture. This festival has always been geared towards achieving manifold aims, namely going beyond local colours, opening up wider horizons, and positioning Salamanca in the center of the stage arts." The festival runs June 1 - June 16th, 2007, and will offer 130 different shows from eighteen countries, in categories such as indoor theatre, dance, large scale street performances, electronic music, graffiti, and video.

The Trial of K is a live multimedia Play Noir inspired by Franz Kafka's unfinished masterpiece, The Trial. The production blends physical theatre, dance, live streaming surveillance video and original music with the visually intense genres of German Expressionism and classic Film Noir. Synaesthetic Theatre's adaptation pits a charmingly arrogant Josef K (Margaret O'Sullivan) against an all-encompassing Court of Law. Author Kafka (Clinton Powell) orchestrates K's descent, as K loses ground through interactions with a surreal series of characters - men and women drawn by the scent of his "guilt." Under the strain of constant surveillance, anti-hero Josef K topples from indignation into fear and doubt, eventually embracing the inevitable verdict.

Synaesthetic Theatre's The Trial of K is a multimedia interpretation of Kafka's classic work (written in 1914), presented through the lens of our current socio-political landscape of increased surveillance and disappearing civil liberties. In The Trial of K, Synaesthetic Theatre focuses on Josef K's libidinous behavior and resistance to self-scrutiny, both underlined by the constant voyeurism present in Kafka's novel.

Co-directed by Joy Leonard and Chris Nichols, The Trial of K features Margaret O'Sullivan as Josef K, Clinton Powell as Kafka, and Tina West, Joy Leonard, Ted Hannan, Joy Lynn Alegarbes, and M.A. Makowski as a rotating parade of characters. Designers John DesRoches (Video), Rench (Composer), David Crittenden (Costumes), Paul Hudson (Lighting) and David Szlasa (Set) contribute live video surveillance, an original trip-hop score and a stunningly visual environment inspired by the shapes, lines, angles, and shadows of German Expressionism and Film Noir.

Synaesthetic Theatre is an experimental collective that expands the role of theatre artists through process-driven performance and multidisciplinary training. Directors, designers and performers collaborate in a unique process to develop, write, and create each show, resulting in truly ensemble-driven work. Since 1997, Synaesthetic Theatre has created and produced nine original multimedia plays for the theater. From its inception as a small artistic collective, Synaesthetic Theatre has grown into an organized non-profit company of 15 collaborating member artists, presenting an annual season of educational development programs for performing artists and creating a new multimedia production every 1-2 years.

For more information about the International Arts Festival of Castilla y Leon, please visit www.festivalcyl.com.
For more information about Synaesthetic Theatre, please visit www.synaesthetic-theatre.com

For press comments on the 2005 NYC production, video and photo downloads or other information about The Trial of K, please visit www.thetrialofk.com.

Press Contact: Jessica Baker (917) 450-4026, press(at)synaesthetic-theatre.com
For photos and other electronic format press materials, please visit www.thetrialofk.com/press.

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