The Grand Parade

ASHFIELD, MA - The Grand Parade (of the 20^th Century) will be performed at CityStage in Springfield, Massachusetts, marking a first step in Double Edge’s goal of a multi-year commitment with the city of Springfield. The performances will be at 7:30 PM, Thursday, October 29 and Friday, October 30.

The Grand Parade depicts major events of the 20th century in a theatrical style inspired by Marc Chagall’s kaleidoscopic vision of humanity at play, at war, and at rest. Trapeze, circus, dance, projections, and popular culture fill the height and breadth of the stage. These performances and free matinees for Springfield Public High School will be accompanied by additional youth programming, including conversations with the creators and performers, classroom activities inviting a creative exploration of history and art, and ensemble-led workshops for students at CityStage.

On October 11, members of the Double Edge ensemble will perform at Ashfield’s Fall Festival, as the first event of the Collaborative Territories project, which is supported by a recent Our Town grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts. The project includes a series of events that will bring together local artists, tradespeople, and community members to join Double Edge in creating a free, large-scale spectacle and parade that will transform public spaces throughout Ashfield.

In November, Double Edge Theatre presents a double bill of solo performances: The Oven, a monologue written and performed by Ilan Stavans and directed by Matthew Glassman, and Total Verrückt! performed by Joanna Caplan and directed by Matthew Glassman. Shows are Friday, November 13 and Saturday, November 14, 7:00 PM. Box Office: 413-628-0277.

In his critically-acclaimed one-man show, Ilan Stavans, writer and Lewis-Sebring Professor in Latin American and Latino Culture at Amherst College, invites the audience to experience with him a religious ceremony with an indigenous tribe in Colombia’s Amazon jungle. Humorous as well as heartbreaking, Stavans invites us to ponder how our inner and outer worlds mirror each other.

Created and performed by Resident Artist Joanna Caplan, designed by Sarah Cormier, and directed by Matthew Glassman, Total Verrückt! tells the true story of world-renowned Jewish cabaret performers held in the Dutch transit camp of Westerbork from 1942-44, thereby delaying their transport to death camps. Taking its name from the theatre group's final production and inspired by the diaries of Jewish-Dutch poet Etty Hillesum, Total Verrückt! posits the necessity of art as a means of survival and an act of resistance.

Following these special double-bill performances at Double Edge, both shows will tour:

The Oven will be performed at Charlestown Working Theater, 442 Bunker Hill Street, Charlestown, MA, November 19-21, 8:00 PM. Box Office: (617) 811-4111; www.charlestownworkingtheater.org (tickets available starting September 26).

Total Verrückt! will be performed at the Baltimore Theatre Project, 45 West Preston Street, December 3-6: Performances, Thursday-Saturday @ 8pm, Saturday & Sunday @ 2pm. Box Office: 410-752-8558; www.theatreproject.org

For more information, press comps and press photos, please contact us at press@doubleedgetheatre.org.