Thu – Sat | Jan 12 – 14 | 8pm
Sun | Jan 15 | 5pm
Post-show conversation Tiago Rodrigues + Michelle Peñaloza Fri | Jan 13

“Once 10 people know a poem by heart, there’s nothing the KGB, the CIA or the Gestapo can do about it. It will survive.” – George Steiner

Ten people commit to memorizing a Shakespeare sonnet in real time in an act of political and artistic resistance. Director Tiago Rodrigues marshals the willing soldiers and aids them in memorization with help from poet Boris Pasternak, sci-fi writer Ray Bradbury, literary critic George Steiner and his own grandmother. Battling the ever-present threat of fascism with poetry, this emotionally moving and direct piece only ends when all the soldiers know the words by heart.

Director Tiago Rodrigues is the artistic director of Doña Maria II National Theatre in Lisbon, one of the oldest and most prestigious theater institutions in Portugal. Rodrigues is an actor, a playwright, a director, and a producer. As an author, he writes screenplays, poetry, songs, and editorials. In 2003 he founded the company Mundo Perfeito with Magda Bizarro. He has been lauded for his original approach to dramaturgy as well as his collaborations with international artists including Rabih Mroué, Tim Etchells, and Nature Theater of Oklahoma.