A Respectable Wedding
by Bertolt Brecht (translation by Rory Bremmer)
Kenneth Janes Prize in Theatre for Outstanding Artistic and Intellectual Achievement
Barnard College Theatre Department
Cast: Julia Dooley, Alex Gist, Laurence Parker, Nina Locke, Leo Bevilacqua, Chantel Woo, Maia Prest, Jason Bowen, Chloe Worthington
SM: Angelique Dudley, Maggie Vlietstra
Choreography: Carina Goebelbecker
Lights: Kalina Ko
Sound & Original Music: Lexi Wang
Set: Ana Cornelia Pade
Costumes: Ilana Lupkin
Props: Nicole Leon
Photos: Jo Chiang
“A Respectable Wedding follows a post-wedding party sitting down for a meal and conversation that progresses throughout the evening… the veil of perfection disintegrates over the course of the performance with the dual collapse of etiquette and the groom’s homemade furniture.
The play was originally written and set in 1919 before Brecht had developed his signature “epic theatre” practice, so Berke worked to, in her words, “Brecht-ify Brecht”—adding elements of alienation, moments of characters breaking the fourth wall, and gestus, with overtly physical performances from the ensemble. And by placing the play in a 1960s setting, Berke was able to contemporize the narrative, spinning it into one of feminist empowerment.”