PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 23, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Philadelphia Fringe Festival announces the addition of Teatr Biuro Podrozy's "Carmen Funebre" to its 2002 Spotlight Show lineup in the 6th Annual Philadelphia Fringe Festival, running August 30 - September 14, 2002. From Poland, Teatr Biuro Podrozy will make its United States premiere with "Carmen Funebre," running Wednesday through Saturday, September 11th through the 14th at 8pm at the Festival Pier at Penn's Landing, Columbus Boulevard and Spring Garden Streets.
Created in 1993 in response to ethnic conflicts around the world, "Carmen Funebre" is about the horrors of war, and has become the signature piece of Teatr Biuro Podrozy (Travel Agency Theatre). Using very little text, the production uses stilt walkers, searchlights, chilling music and a spectacular set that is lit on fire at the end of each performance. It has been staged throughout Europe, Asia, Australia and Latin America, and was performed in Polish prisons and filmed for Polish TV in 1995.
The Philadelphia Fringe Festival production marks the premiere performance of "Carmen Funebre" in the United States.
"We are honored to present the first United States performance of 'Carmen Funebre,'" states Fringe Festival Producing Director Nick Stuccio. "It has been performed world-wide, and I have been talking to members of Teatr Biuro Podrozy about coming here since the first year of the festival. This year, we were able to secure the necessary funding to bring them here and everything fell into place."
The presentation of "Carmen Funebre" is made possible by generous grants from The Trust for Mutual Understanding, The Polish Cultural Institute, Lot Airlines, Nowy Dziennik and Penn's Landing Corporation.
Philadelphia Fringe Festival Information:
Tickets for the Philadelphia Fringe Festival range from free to $15 and can be purchased online at www.pafringe.org or by calling (215) 413-1318 or visiting the Box Office at the Hub, 2nd and Race Streets. Or 1/2 hour before each performance at Festival Pier at Penn's Landing, Columbus Boulevard and Spring Garden Streets.
The Philadelphia Fringe Festival was founded in 1997 with the mission to produce and present high quality, risk-taking and experimental art to a wide and diverse audience in a setting that invites and encourages interaction between artist and audience. The Philadelphia Fringe Festival features some of the most sought after and talked about performing arts events in the Philadelphia area. Productions are from a full spectrum of colorful work that falls within, between and sometimes beyond the standard categories of theater, dance, performance art, music, poetry and puppetry. National and international performers come to the Festival to present new visions and thought-provoking work that expands the boundaries and directions of their art form.
Festival Pier at Penn's Landing is located on Columbus Boulevard and Spring Garden Street. For more information on this and any other event at Penn's Landing, please call (215) 922-2FUN or visit www.pennslandingcorp.com.