Summary

Peter Weiss’
The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade
English Version by Geoffrey Skelton
Verse Adaptation by Adrian Mitchell
Directed by Stephanie Shroyer
Musical Direction by Billy Thompson

Set in the historic French asylum where the Marquis de Sade often performed plays with his fellow inmates during their imprisonment, this play-within-a-play presents the final days of the French Revolution for the asylum’s visiting director and his upper-class family. Their portrayal sheds a chilling light on the complexities of revolution and the fragility of the human mind, and the audience is forced to confront uncomfortable questions about mental illness, leadership and the true nature of freedom. Peter Weiss’ Tony Award-winning masterpiece uses song and story to create a political parable that is a deep examination of human suffering and class struggle that still resonates deeply today.