Critique of ​Erotic Madness: An Italian Opera Double Bill

This production features two performance pieces: the pastiche ​Lungi da te​ (Far From

You) by G.F. Handel and the one act opera​ Il giovedì grasso ​(Fat Thursday) by Gaetano

Donizetti. It takes place at Kasser Theater and is directed by Jeffrey Gall. The pastiche was a

completely modern reimagining of an early 18th century work and the opera, while primarily

faithful to its 17th century origins in costuming, shared unifying set design elements with the

previous piece (simple and repetitive modernist shapes and mirrors) and therefore was in an

unusual limbo between modern and historical authenticity. The productions used the stage (​48’

wide x 40’ deep in front an audience of 500 seats) in interesting ways.​ The two primary settings

(one for each billing) were of different depths and employed most of the upstage and downstage

area available (Lungi da te used more than Il giovedi grasso).

Producers was a recreation of the original Broadway artistic vision and employed almost

the exact same costume, lighting, choreography and set design elements as the 2001 production

at the St. James Theater in New York, refigured for the Kasser stage. The Kasser Theater

contains 500 seats and a stage area of 1920 square feet, and the multiple settings of ​The

Producers​ used the entire space effectively, incorporating full sets (of different depths) and

several set pieces on scenery wagons in addition to a wide variety of drops (as well as the

exposed back of the stage).