Theatre Labyrinth's History

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Theatre Labyrinth's History
1998
Production of the Loon Tree Festival: A Celebration of Pioneering Solo Performances, featuring challenging new works by Jenny Magnus (Chicago), Karin Randoja (Toronto), and Tannis Kowalchuk (New York), along with Frankenstein's Wake and the premiere of The Sibyl.

With an ensemble of guest artists from Cleveland and Toronto, Theatre Labyrinth premiered its fifth original creation, Never Speak to Strangers, a daring work inspired by J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan. Collaboration with MacArthur Genius Fellow Guillermo Gómez Peña on his Mexterminator Project at Bowling Green State University. Frankenstein's Wake played at the Sovereigns Festival at Link's Hall, Chicago.

1997
Artistic Director Raymond Bobgan was selected for the National Endowment for the Arts/Theatre Communications Group Career Development Program. Frankenstein's Wake opened in New York City (Paradise Productions) to raves from critics and audiences alike. Collaboration with the New World Performance Laboratory to present Terence Cranendonk's one man version of The Inspector General.

1996
Partnership with The Inter Religious Task Force, Pilgrim Congregational Church, and Cleveland Public Theatre to present The Still Point Theatre Collective's performance Points of Arrival: The Jean Donovan Story. Creation of a new work in collaboration with twelve artists from the US, Canada, Brazil, and Bolivia. The Warbling Carousel focused on UFO/alien abduction phenomena. Theatre Labyrinth utilized this topic as a springboard to investigate a web of related issues: the desire for contact with something outside of the self; the fear of being alone in an expanding universe; and the questioning of our perception of reality. With text written primarily by Bobgan and playwright Mike Geither, The Warbling Carousel also featured original music specially recorded for Theatre Labyrinth by nationally known recording artists Primitive Radio Gods and Toad the Wet Sprocket (both with Columbia Records). A brief article on The Warbling Carousel appeared in American Theatre Magazine (Sept. 1996).

Beginning in the Fall of 1995, Theatre Labyrinth created its second performance, Transformations of Lucius, loosely based on a classical Roman text, The Golden Ass, by Lucius Apuleius. Transformations of Lucius played in Winnipeg, Canada, at the Survivors of the Ice Age Festival/ Conference, produced by Primus Theatre. Transformations of Lucius is discussed in Canadian Theatre Review (Fall 1996), where a transcript of Bobgan's short lecture, "On Attention and Collaboration" is also featured.

1995
Premeire of Theatre Labyrinth's first original performance, Inanna's Descent, at Pilgrim Church in Cleveland. Inanna's Descent was based on the oldest recorded goddess myth, utilizing magic, masks, song, and ritual elements to convey a story of death, rebirth, and sacrifice. The group toured to New York and Brazil for over ten weeks. Inanna's Descent played at FILO (Festival International Londrina) and Cena Conteporenea (Rio de Janeiro), as well as in nontraditional theatre venues, such as a torch-lit outdoor religious fountain in a remote village and an abandoned train station. Throughout Brazil, the group taught workshops and led work exchanges with other theatre groups.

Theatre Labyrinth was founded in January of 1995, shortly after its founding members created Cleveland Public Theatre's production Pinocchio Rising—an alchemical interpretation of Carlo Collodi's classic tale, adapted and directed by Raymond Bobgan. The new company was invited to lead a short workshop at The First Annual Performance Studies Conference at New York University.

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