DIRECTING

Hephaestus

God of fire, god of the forge, the worker god: Hephaestus. At once a meditation on labor, dis/ability, and beauty, Hephaestus interrogates our relationships to our bodies, and our ideas of beauty and divinity. Drawing on texts ancient and new, Hephaestus explores the limitations of the body and the self, and our desire to transcend them.

Written by Willie Johnson; Directed by Paul Bedard; Choreographed & Associate Directed by Katie Palmer; Composed & Sound Designed by Dylan Neely; Scenic Design by Lina Younes; Costume Design by Heather Freedman; Lighting Design by Dan Stearns; Photos by Ryan Prado, LPAC / Rough Draft Festival

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Totally Wholesome Foods

Set in Gowaynus, this wild satire follows Wendy and her community from the excitement of re-opening their beloved community garden to the chaos and frenzied terror of watching that garden, once destroyed by Hurricane Bobby, be destroyed again by the global wellness franchise Totally Wholesome Foods.

Written by Alice Pencavel ; Directed by Paul Bedard; Music Composition & Direction by Paul Hinkes; Scenic design by Dan Daly; Costumes & Prop design by Claire Moodey; Lighting Design by Dan Stearns; Photos by Ahron R. Foster

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Heifer

A child rape survivor testifies while the mother of the accused defends her son. An antebellum slave plots her freedom from a liberal and scholarly mistress. All the while, the goddess Hera watches over the women, ensuring no one steps out of line.

Written by Gethsemane Herron; Directed by Paul Bedard; Costume Design: Isabelle Coler; Set Design: Richard Fudge; Lighting Design: Dan Stearns; Photos by Samantha Blinn

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The Break

Two women come together, break apart, and reinvent themselves over a shared love of tennis. Spanning twenty years, The Break asks what competition costs and tests how far we'll go for the things we love.

Written by Drew Morrison; Directed by Paul Bedard; Scenic Design by Jonathan Sigala; Sound Design by Casey Mraz; Lighting Design by Steven Mauer; Costume Design by Khristah Garcia; Prop Design by Anne Sergeant

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The Debates 2016

An iterating adaptation of the 2015-2016 Presidential Debates

Conceived and Directed by Paul Bedard; Created by Theater in Asylum; Choreographed by Katie Palmer; Dramaturgical Team lead by Samantha Keogh; Lighting Designed by Dan Stearns; Sound Design & Original Compositions by Adrian Bridges; Assistant Directed and Video Designed by Jake Beckhard, Julia Levine, and Blake Sugarman; Photos by Bailey Carr, Joyce Bedard, and Paul Bedard

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"This was the way to spend the nervous hours before voting began on Tuesday... Forthright, in-your-face, up-to-the-minute... Let's hope we don't have to wait four years and another embattled primary for a troupe like Theater in Asylum to visit Hartford again."
- The Hartford Courant

¡Olé!

A chronicle of the relationship between Spanish poet Federico García Lorca and poet Salvador Dalí that asks, "Why do we make art?"

Conceived and directed by Paul Bedard
With text by Salvador Dalí & Federico Garcia Lorca
Original score by Randall Benichak
Choreographed by Katie Palmer & Theresa Burns
Dramaturgy by Samantha Keogh & Jake Lasser
Lighting Design by Dan Stearns
Costume Design by Karli Brae (NYC) & Stephanie Levin + Chloe Treat (Tour)
Scenic Design by Walter Ryan (NYC) & Paul Bedard (Tour)

Click here for more about Theater in Asylum's ¡Olé!

"This is smart theater... genius... brisk, unyielding..."
-- Rochester City Newspaper

The Infernal Machine

Jean Cocteau's wild and devastating take on the Oedipus myth.

Written by Jean Cocteau; Directed by Paul Bedard; Presented at The Hangar Theatre as part of a Drama League Directing fellowship; Dramaturgy by Ella Carr; Scenic Design by Dan Daly; Costume Design by Camilla Morrison; Lighting Design by Topher Strumreiter; Sound Design by Garrett Hood

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"Bedard infused intelligent metaphors on socialism into The Infernal Machine, with deep commentary on society being both openly highlighted and discretely suggested at all the right moments... Bedard had carefully placed surprises to keep his social commentary sensibly shocking and invigorating."
- Theater is Easy Blog

Frankenstein

An investigation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Ray Kurzweil's theories on The Singularity.

Directed by Paul Bedard; Choreographed by Katie Palmer; Based on Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and Ray Kurzweil's theories on The Singularity; Written in collaboration with Jenn Tash and the cast; Dramaturgy by Jake Lasser; Music and Soundscape Composed by Randall Benichak and Colleen Toole; Costume Design by Ramsey J. Scott; Scenic Design by Meghan Kennedy; Media Design by Mark Costello; Lighting Design by Dan Stearns

Learn more about Theater in Asylum's Frankenstein