UBU ROI

On November 7th, Tulane’s Department of Theatre and Dance opens Ubu Roi, one of the theatre’s most controversial plays and infamous characters. During the premiere in Paris in 1896, the first word of Alfred Jarry’s script provoked a 15-minute riot and the show was instantly banned.  

"This isn't just a play; it's a wild ride through the ludicrous facets of human nature, where chaos, reflection, and sheer entertainment collide.” says director Antony Sandoval, “Join us for an adventure that's as thought-provoking as it is wildly entertaining, and let's find joy in the absurd together!”  

The play’s central character, Pa Ubu, is urged by his wife to kill the King of Poland. Once crowned, he establishes a reign of terror but his greed and ambition spiral out of control and the world later turns on him. While the plot might sound very similar to another famous play, Ubu Roi provides a whirlwind of absurdity and uproarious joy. Controversial in its time, the play and playwright Alfred Jarry became major influences on Dadaists and Surrealists, and laid groundwork for the Theatre of the Absurd movement of the 1960s. 

The fast-pace hour long comedy, with an English script adapted by Sandoval, stars Sydney Schneider as Pap Ubu and features Bess Blackburn, Brooke Cox, Dingyu Yang, Jory Tanaka, Katie Griffitts, Kaylee Postoak, Madi Bell, and Sofia Severson.  

The show will showcase MFA in Theatre Design thesis work by set designer Ali Robinson, costume designer Kaylee Drake, and lighting designer Sammy Verdino. Puppet designs are co-created by Drake and Robinson, with sound design by Professor Rachel Levy.   

Ubu Roi runs from Tuesday, November 7th to Sunday, November 12th, 2023. Performances are at 7:30 pm Tuesday through Saturday, with matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 2 pm. Tickets are available www.purplepass.com/TULANETD 

Performances are held in the Lupin Theatre in the Dixon Hall Performing Arts Center (150 Dixon Hall Annex) located on the Tulane University uptown campus, just off the Newcomb Quad.