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Symphony of Rats

February 25-28, 2026
Walker Art Center
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A president of the United States is receiving messages by mysterious means, and he doesn’t know whether to trust them or not.

In this new Wooster Group production, directed by Elizabeth LeCompte and Kate Valk, and composed by the company, Richard Foreman’s 1988 play is reimagined with a multilayered sound and video score that draws from wide-ranging literary and cinematic sources, including William Blake, D.H. Lawrence, and Charlie Chaplin. Set in a spaceship/artist’s studio/gallery, it follows the president as he plunges into a series of encounters with otherworldly beings, among them a giant rat with a special message.

Performers
Production

Media & Ephemera

Poster for The Wooster Group's SYMPHONY OF RATS 2024 performances at The Performing Garage. Photos by Spencer Ostrander and Yudam Hyung Seok Jeon. Design by Yudam Hyung Seok Jeon.
Ari Fliakos and Jim Fletcher in The Wooster Group's SYMPHONY OF RATS. Photo: Spencer Ostrander, 2023.
Michaela Murphy, Niall Cunningham, Jim Fletcher, and Ari Fliakos in The Wooster Group's SYMPHONY OF RATS. Photo: Spencer Ostrander, 2023.
Jim Fletcher and Ari Fliakos in The Wooster Group's SYMPHONY OF RATS. Photo: Spencer. Ostrander, 2023.
Jim Fletcher, Ari Fliakos, Niall Cunningham, and Guillermo Resto in The Wooster Group's SYMPHONY OF RATS. Photo: Keetja Allard, 2024.
Ari Fliakos, Jim Fletcher, and Guillermo Resto in The Wooster Group's SYMPHONY OF RATS. Photo: Keetja Allard, 2024.
Jim Fletcher in The Wooster Group's SYMPHONY OF RATS. Photo: Keetja Allard, 2024.
Ari Fliakos, Andrew Maillet, Jim Fletcher, and Guillermo Resto in The Wooster Group's SYMPHONY OF RATS. Photo: Keetja Allard, 2024.
Ari Fliakos, Jim Fletcher, and Guillermo Resto in The Wooster Group's SYMPHONY OF RATS. Photo: Angel Oiggi, 2024.
Michaela Murphy, Ari Fliakos, Jim Fletcher, and Guillermo Resto in The Wooster Group's SYMPHONY OF RATS. Photo: Angel Origgi, 2024.
Jim Fletcher in The Wooster Group's SYMPHONY OF RATS. Photo: Angel Origgi, 2024.

Production History

Additional Credits

“Door Song,” “Human Feelings Song,” and “Ice Cream Song”: lyrics from Richard Foreman’s Symphony of Rats; music by Suzzy Roche; arrangements by The Wooster Group.

Co-commissioned by piece by piece productions.

Performances at the Biennale Teatro di Venezia supported by the AJT Fund.

Special thanks to Richard Foreman.

Thanks to Rita Ackermann, Antonia Belt, Wendy vanden Heuvel, and Tom Shapiro.

And to Allison Chomet, Fales Library, Hai-Ting Chinn, David Glista, Bona Lee, and Joseph Silovsky.

Selected Press