Live theatrical walking tour transforms the streets of the West Village into the bohemian world of 1899 Paris.
September 30, 2020 - July 31, 2021
"Seductive...stop and let yourself get drawn in." -- Maya Phillips, The New York Times
"The sad life and exceptional talent of Lautrec are vividly conveyed... an excellent way to shake off the deprivation from live performance of the past six months." -- Nicole Colbert, OffOffOnline
"Intoxicating... What makes Voyeur so fascinating is the continually shifting perspectives of who is the voyeur and who is the 'voyee.'" -- Joe Lombardi, BroadwayWorld
"Even in the pre-pandemic days, Voyeur would be one of those special 'only in New York' experiences that bring moments of joy to the stress of living in the city...the show easily quenches the thirst for live theatre." -- Andrew Andrews, Opplaud
Bated Breath Theatre Company presents VOYEUR: THE WINDOWS OF TOULOUSE-LAUTREC, a pandemic-friendly theatrical walking tour inspired by their long-running immersive hit Unmaking Toulouse-Lautrec (named one of the “best immersive plays and interactive theatrical experiences” by Time Out). This open air, intimate theatrical experience guides an eight-person audience through the dreams of iconic artist Toulouse-Lautrec as he recalls his final absinthe-laced years living and working in Montmartre. The sidewalks, doorways and windows of Greenwich Village become the setting for VOYEUR as live accompaniment collides with the city’s soundscape, transporting attendees into the bohemian world of 1899 Paris. Performances, which blend theater, dance, puppetry, opera and live music, run September 30, 2020 through July 31, 2021.
VOYEUR: THE WINDOWS OF TOULOUSE-LAUTREC is is conceived and directed by Mara Lieberman with puppet design and construction by James Ortiz (Hercules, The Woodsman); sets by Sadra Tehrani, Lina Younes and Ebony Burton; costumes by Christopher Metzger; lighting by Ebony Burton and Keith A. Truax; and sound design by Mark Van Hare. Dmitiriy and Maryia Umanskiy serve as music directors with choreography by Leila Mire and Kelsey Rondeau with Nate Carter. The cast includes Chloé Bell, Gino Bloomberg, Bianca Bulgarelli, Melissa Cabey, Sophia Carlin, Ever Chavez, Mollie Downes, Falana Fox, Natasha Frater, Sarah Gagarin, JoAnna Geffert, Clint Hromsco, Megan Lako, Brooke Larimer, Adam Lawrence, Gregory Marlow, Colleen McCurley, Ella McMillion, Josh McWhortor, Annika Rudolph, Jacqueline Shoda-Iwasaki, Fé Torres, and Katherine Winter.
In an effort to maintain additional safety during the Covid-19 pandemic, audience members will be required to wear a mask at all times, maintain a safe social distance for the duration of the performance, and hand sanitizing stations will be available at stops throughout the tour. This theatrical walking tour is hosted primarily outdoors, with one short venture indoors into a spacious atmosphere capable of safe social distancing. A flexible ticket exchange policy will be offered to those who may feel ill in order to facilitate responsible event participation.
VOYEUR will run rain or shine (except in cases of extreme weather) and audience members are asked to check local weather forecasts and dress accordingly.
Bated Breath Theatre Company creates immersive, participatory theatre that wakes up the body, resurrects sleeping histories, and electrifies non-traditional theatre spaces. Bated Breath had just crossed 100 performances of their site-specific hit, Unmaking Toulouse-Lautrec at Madame X when the pandemic forced a pause in performances. The Company premiered its interactive art auction play Beneath the Gavel Off-Broadway at 59E59 Theatres in 2017 and has performed the play on a recurring basis at Feinstein’s/54 Below. They’ve performed their award-winning Freedom: In 3 Acts as part the New Haven Festival of Arts and Ideas and at the New England Museum Association Annual Conference as part of the keynote address. Bated Breath’s short play The Pride of Christopher Street was part of the Up Close Festival at the New Ohio Theatre. Bated Breath is also currently working on a new interactive wine tasting play in collaboration with wine journalist Jane Anson. For more information, visit www.batedbreaththeatre.org.
Mara Lieberman has served as Executive Artistic Director, director, and lead writer for all of Bated Breath’s shows since she took the helm in 2012 including Unmaking Toulouse-Lautrec, Beneath the Gavel, the award-winning Freedom: In 3 Acts, The Pride of Christopher Street (co-written with Jamie Roach), and Wild Things. Additionally, she has adapted and directed plays at The New York Fringe Festival, The New Haven Festival of Arts & Ideas, New Georges The Room, and HERE’s American Living Room Festival. She also served as assistant to Lloyd Richards at the National Playwright’s Conference. In 2018, Mara was a recipient of an Artistic Excellence Award from the Connecticut Office of the Arts. She earned her BA from Sarah Lawrence College and her Masters in Performance Studies from Northwestern University.
VOYEUR: THE WINDOWS OF TOULOUSE-LAUTREC runs September 30 through May 29, 2021. The performance begins at The Duplex, 61 Christopher Street at 7th Avenue South. Performance times vary. See website link below for exact schedule and ticket availability. Running time is approximately 60 minutes. Audience members must be able to climb one flight of stairs and be on their feet for the duration of the performance. Tickets range from $69 - $94. Visit www.unmakinglautrecplay.com for times, tickets and further details.