FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY
Watch more videos from FRANK DELL'S THE TEMPTATlON OF ST. ANTONY »
Photographs
Production Credits
FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY
Conceived and composed by The Wooster Group
Based on Gustave Flaubert’s La Tentation de Saint Antoine
Director: Elizabeth LeCompte
Frank Dell: Ron Vawter (1986-93), Willem Dafoe (1994)
Phyllis: Peyton Smith
Onna: Kate Valk
Eva: Anna Köhler
Jacques: Michael Stumm (1986-90), Dave Shelley (1993-94)
Sue: Nancy Reilly (1986), M.A. Hestand (1987-89), Valerie Charles (1989), Cynthia Hedstrom (1990, 93-94)
Dieter: Jeff Webster (1986-90), Christopher Kondek (1993-94), Michael Nishball (1994)
Tracy Leipold: Herself (1993-94)
J.J.: Himself
On video: Nancy Reilly, Willem Dafoe, Irma St. Paule
Set: Jim Clayburgh
Sound: Jeff Webster, James “J.J.” Johnson, John Collins (1993-94)
Light: Paula Gordon (1986-90), Clay Shirky (1993-94)
Video: Elizabeth LeCompte
Additional Video: Christopher Kondek (1993-94)
Film: Ken Kobland
Additional Text: James Strahs
Assistant to the Director: James “J.J.” Johnson (1986-88), Marianne Weems (1988-93), Clay Hapaz (1994)
Dramaturg: Norman Frisch (1986-87)
Set Assistant: Michael Nishball
Master Carpenter: Ruud van den Akker (1993-94)
Sound Consultants: John Erskine, Janet Kalas
Engineering Consultant: Bill Ballou / No Radio
Technical Director: Eric Dyer (1993-94)
Special thanks to Peter Sellars, Jo Andres, Leonora Champagne, Matthew Hansell, Michael Kirby, Roy Faudree and Sheena See / No Theater, and Elion Sacker for their contributions to this piece.
Dedicated to Ursula Easton
Source Texts
La Tentation de Saint Antoine by Gustave Flaubert. An epic closet drama based on the life of Saint Antony.
The Magician (1958) by Ingmar Bergman. A film about a traveling magic troupe whose tricks are revealed as fraudulent.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Lenny Bruce!! (1974) by Albert Goldman. An unauthorized biography of comedian Lenny Bruce.
The Letters of Gustave Flaubert (Letters from 1830 to 1880)
Channel J—(Interludes after Midnight). A cable television talk show, shown late night in New York, in which the participants were naked.
Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women (1986) by Ricky Jay. An account of some of the most peculiar and phenomenal acts from the history of the art of entertainment.
The Road to Immortality: Being a Description of the Life Hereafter, with Evidence of the Survival of Human Personality (1932) by Geraldine Cummins. A record of Cummins’ psychic communications with the deceased F.W.H. Meyers, a nineteenth century poet, essayist, and the founder of the Society for Psychical Research.
Production History
1985 January: Work begins on Flaubert's La Tentation de Saint Antoine, a text suggested by Peter Sellars
1985 February 19-25: FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY rehearsals at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts
1985 August-October: FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY rehearsals at The Performing Garage. Channel J. sequence video drafts.
1985 November, December: Channel J. video shoot and FLAUBERT DREAMS OF TRAVEL BUT THE ILLNESS OF HIS MOTHER PREVENTS IT video shoot (with Ken Kobland): later incorporated into FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY
1986 January 23-26: FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY open rehearsals at the Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.
1986 April 28-May 4: FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY rehearsals filmed for The South Bank Show (ITV UK)
1986 May 26-June 30: FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY work-in-progress showings at The Performing Garage
1987 February: FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY rehearsals at The Performing Garage
1987 April 1-26: FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY work-in-progress showings at The Performing Garage
1987 May 5-10: FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY work-in-progress showings at MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts
1987 June 25-28: FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY work-in-progress showings at Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts
1987 September 6-13: “Cubby in L.A.” video shoot (later incorporated into FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY)
1987 September-October: FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY rehearsals at The Performing Garage
1987 October 8-November 9: FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY work-in-progress showings at The Performing Garage
1988 May 23-28: “Cubby in Jerusalem” video shoot (later incorporated into FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY)
1988 July: FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY rehearsals at The Performing Garage
1988 September: “Cubby as Jesus” video shoot (later incorporated into FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY) in Venice, Italy
1988 September 16-October 15: FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY performances at The Performing Garage
1988 November 6-December: FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY performances at The Performing Garage
1989 May 15-20: FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY in Antwerp, Belgium
1989 June 1-4: FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY in Montreal, Canada
1989 September 14-October 29: FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY performances at The Performing Garage
1989 November 6: FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY, Episode One, at The New Museum, New York City
1990 May 10-13: FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY performances at The Performing Garage
1990 May 21-27: FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY performances in Vienna, Austria
1990 August 30-September 4: FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY performances at the Temporary Contemporary, Los Angeles, California
1990 October 4-19: FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY performances at The Tramway Theatre, Glasgow
1993 October: FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY rehearsals at The Performing Garage
1993 November 11-December 5: FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY at The Performing Garage
1994 April 29-May 8: FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY performances at Hebbel Theater, Berlin, Germany
1995 March: FRANK DELL’S THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY performances in Saõ Paulo, Brazil
