POET FAUSTUS: The Story of a Boy and his God

SAN ANTONIO, TX – Now playing at the Overtime Theater, Rebecca Coffey’s new work "Poet Faustus" is the latest version of the classic myth based on the legends of a traveling German Magician in the 16th century.

Dr. Johann Georg Faust earned a degree from Heidelberg University in 1509, and then set about creating a reputation for himself as an alchemist, magician, trickster, charlatan and all around rascal. Oh, and he claimed to have talked and traded with Mephistopheles. Beelzebub. Satan. You know, the devil.

Faustus’ story was first published in the 16th century as a part of a collection of short biographies of famous and infamous Germans. The story of Faustus became wildly popular, and was republished and rewritten numerous times over the next two centuries, with Christopher Marlowe (1604) and Johann Goethe (1832) writing the two most famous versions.

Or did they?

The simplified plot format of Faust, a man selling his soul to the devil for his heart’s desire, is practically omnipresent in the American media-scape, fueling the stories of hundreds of plays, operas, musicals, movies, TV shows, and even rock and pop albums. (See http://theovertimetheater.net/poetfaustus.htm for a list!)

SO IF EVERYONE KNOWS THE STORY, WHY ARE WE TELLING IT AGAIN?

The weird part is, Rebecca Coffey didn’t start off telling a Faust story, she simply wanted to write something fun for Deborah Basham-Burns, a friend of The Overtime Theater and one of San Antonio’s favorite actors. She thought of Deborah playing the part of God, and built from there. And that leads us to the major difference between our Faust and the Fausts of ages past:

THIS TIME, GOD IS MAKING THE DEALS!

Instead of the devil bargaining for our hero’s soul, God emerges from the clouds to put her two cents in. Coffey’s take on God and the way the universe works is worth the price of admission alone. But it doesn’t stop there. We meet modern poets, poet groupies, celebrity wranglers, absinthe dealers, and of course, Faustus Black, the poet who makes the deal of a lifetime.

"Poet Faustus" lampoons the modern poet, celebrity, literature, and ourselves. Careening back and forth from the hilarious to the poignant, you’ll find yourself in Faustus’s shoes, asking yourself the most profound questions of our day:

At what price the human soul?
What is the meaning of life?
What’s the latest dish on Paris Hilton?

These questions and more will be asked in POET FAUSTUS.

Show Dates: September 5-27, 2008

Show Times: 8 pm Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays.

Location: 1216 West Avenue (near the I-10 exit), San Antonio, TX 78201

Ticket Cost: $9 general admission, $5 for teachers. Thursdays are “roll the dice” nights – just pay the number you roll!

Contact Number: Please call (210) 380-0326 for reservations.

Website: http://www.theovertimetheater.net

Cast: John Poole (Faustus), David Robb (Rob), Deborah Basham-Burns (God), Sophie Bolles (MC), Pamela Kenny (Xyanthe), Bill Martin (Dealer), Lucy Villanueva (Terrance), and Camie Gillespie (Singer). Writer: Rebecca Coffey; Director: John Poole; Asst. Director: Kathleen Lovejoy.

The Overtime Theater was founded in 2006 by John Poole, a San Antonio theatre veteran who sought to create a performance space “for people who don’t go to theater” (San Antonio Express-News). The Overtime is dedicated to providing innovative and accessible entertainment at an affordable price; past productions have included, most recently, the successful runs of “Flinch Gordon and the Return of Ping the Perilous”; the 2008 SAT Playwrights Festival: “Viva Las Vegas”; the romance comic-book adaptation of “Sob! Choke! … LOVE!,” which played to sold-out crowds; and, “The Good Samaritan,” a film-noir work performed live onstage. The Overtime is also the home of two improv troupes, National Comedy Theater and Next Stage Improv, which perform Friday and Saturday nights at 9:30 pm.

The Overtime Theater
1216 West Avenue, San Antonio, TX 78201
John Poole, Theater Owner
(210) 380-0326
http://www.theovertimetheater.net

This release was published on openPR.