Uwishunu.com

Image courtesy the Pig Iron Theatre Co.

Chekhov Lizardbrain first emerged from the brilliantly quirky minds of Pig Iron Theatre Company in 2007, presenting the story of an introverted botanist struggling to re-order his memories into a palliative fiction. The play explores the impossibility of telling a story straight, and the battle between art and eroding consciousness.

The premise may sound heavy, but the bizarre blend of brain science and Russian tragicomedy (the memories are being re-shaped according to Chekhov’s “five rules of theatre,” after all) is as whimsical and hilarious as it is shocking and strange. This new version of the show isn’t what Philadelphia audiences saw two years ago, though. The play was extensively re-tooled by the collaborative ensemble, and the new version has been hailed as a revelation by critics and audiences.

The new Lizardbrain ran in New York last season, where it was heralded by The New York Times as one of the theatre-saturated Big Apple’s top ten theatre events of the year! Pig Iron regular and Lizardbrain star James Sugg scooped up an Obie Award for his performance. Pig Iron is synonymous with experimental theatre in Philly, and regularly dazzles audiences with its patented blend of clowning, physical theatre, vaudeville, incisive writing and bold performance.

Ever since catching the troupe’s Welcome to Yuba City at the Live Arts Festival in September, I’ve been hankering for more of their unique brand of insanity. Luckily for me (and the rest of you!), Chekhov Lizardbrain is going up this Thursday at the Arts Bank. But you’ll have to act quickly – it’s only running for five days. If you’re ready for truly top-notch, innovative and unique theatre, you don’t want to miss this homegrown performance by one of Philly’s most exciting cultural exports.

Chekhov Lizardbrain
December 10-13, 2009
www.pigiron.org

Arts Bank at the University of the Arts
Broad and South Streets, Philadelphia, PA