Gertrude Stein's Four Saints in Three Acts, adapted into a solo version by David Greenspan, plays its last performance at Off-Broadway's Target Margin Theater October 9. Lucille Lortel Theatre presents the production starring Greenspan, which officially opened September 19.
Greenspan takes on 66 different roles in the final offering from his trilogy of solo interpretations. Previous installments include Barry Connors' The Patsy (revived in 2022 at The Off-Broadway Transport Group) and the six-hour drama Strange Interlude by Eugene O'Neill.
Originally created as an opera by Virgil Thomson in 1928, Four Saints in Three Acts' script is the only part performed by Greenspan. The play, said to have "no discernible plot," follows the saints as they use language and expressions to depict the human experience.
The production features dramaturgy by Jay Stull and scenic and lighting design by Yuki Nakase Link, with support from Target Margin Theater. The production stage manager is Michal V. Mendelson, and the production manager is William Adams.
"I am convinced that the script itself for Four Saints in Three Acts has theatrical merit and that performing it without the music will bring out its unheard nuances and subtleties, both dramatic and comedic,” said Greenspan in an earlier statement.
Director Ken Rus Schmoll added, "Four Saints in Three Acts is an opportunity to release yourself from the boundaries of traditional theatre through David Greenspan grappling with the singular theatrical imagination of Gertrude Stein. By turns hilarious, absurd, and introspective, this work takes you on an unexpected ride via language and through human experience."
For tickets and more information, visit Lortel.org.
