Umalleniay Productions presents the Midwest premiere of "The Pool of Bethesda," by Allan Cubitt, directed by Mikhael Tara Garver. "The Pool of Bethesda" begins previews April 10 and runs through May 23. Performances take place at Live Bait Theatre, 3914 N. Clark St. For tickets, call (773) 347-1375.
When the play opens, Dr. Daniel Pearce, a London surgeon, is living in a sort of comic nightmare, suffering from increasingly disturbing hallucinations. Believing himself to be the Christ in William Hogarth's famous painting, "The Pool of Bethesda," he has transported himself to the 18th-century painter's extravagant, erotic, and sometimes violent world.
Returning to the present, we find that Pearce's delusions are the product of a serious illness. The individuals in his Hogarthian visions represent those close to him in life, most notably his wife, his sister, and a close friend. Pearce must communicate honestly with these women and mend their complicated relationships before he can reconcile himself to his life-threatening illness.
Uma is fully realizing the world of "The Pool of Bethesda" in Live Bait's studio theatre by building the entire space, including walls, audience seating, and an actual pool. The set serves as an observation room, hospital, boxing ring, and cage.
Tickets are $12-$20. (Exception: The performance on Friday, April 16, is an opening gala; tickets are $50, and include a reception following the performance.) For tickets, leave a message at 773-347-1375, and someone from Uma will call to confirm the reservation. For more information, visit umaproductions.org.
William Hogarth (1697 - 1764) was a painter and engraver who brilliantly satirized the follies of English manners and customs. "The Pool of Bethesda," painted on the staircase of Saint Bartholomew's Hospital in London, is one of Hogarth's most ambitious and famous paintings. The healing pool of Bethesda is mentioned in the fifth chapter of John in the New Testament of the Bible. The Hebrew word "Bethesda" comes from "Chesda," meaning "house of mercy." |
