FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joyce Linehan for ArtsEmerson, (617) 282-2510, joyce@ashmontmedia.com
ArtsEmerson: The World On Stage
PRESENTS
JOHN MALKOVICH IN THE INFERNAL COMEDY: CONFESSIONS OF A SERIAL KILLER
SEPTEMBER 29 & 30 – TWO PERFORMANCES ONLY —U.S. PREMIERE
High resolution photos available at http://www.ashmontmedia.com/AE_photos_season_infernal.html
Very limited reviewer’s comps for Sept. 29 only.
(BOSTON – August 22, 2011) The second season of international theatre programming by ArtsEmerson: The World On Stage continues with the U.S. premiere of The Infernal Comedy: Confessions of a Serial Killer starring John Malkovich. Performances take place Sept. 29 & 30, 2011 at 8 p.m. at the Cutler Majestic Theatre (219 Tremont Street, in Boston’s Theatre District). Tickets, from $25 – $195, are on sale now at www.artsemerson.org or by phone at (617) 824-8400.
A cross between chilling crime drama and Baroque opera with a live orchestra on period instruments, The Infernal Comedy is based on the true life story of twice-imprisoned serial killer Jack Unterweger (played by John Malkovich). Unterweger, who was sentenced to life in prison in 1976 for murdering a young girl, became a literary celebrity with the publication of his autobiography, Purgatory. Considered a model of rehabilitation, he was paroled in 1990—only to go on to murder 11 more women on two continents. Mysteriously back from the grave for an autobiographical book tour, the notorious womanizer oozes disconcerting charm as he narrates his sordid and shocking history. Each chapter concludes with an aria—eight in all—from Gluck, Mozart, Haydn, Vivaldi and more, sung live by two sopranos—both tempting prospects for Unterweger’s bloodlust. The narrative is told through monologues which are illustrated by and juxtaposed with the music, embodying the emotions they explore - joy, hatred, love, grief, desire. Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra Los Angeles performs under their conductor Martin Haselböck. The sopranos’ (Sophie Klußmann and Claire Meghnagi) performances provide an inspired counterpoint, providing both a soundtrack to and a deliciously ironic commentary on Unterweger’s disturbing confessions. At times darkly comic, at other times bleak and brutal, The Infernal Comedy is an intriguing and innovative approach to delving into the twisted mind of, as Malkovich puts it, “a bad, bad guy.”
For more information, visit www.theinfernalcomedy.org. Recommended for ages 15 and up.
About John Malkovich
John Malkovich has appeared in over 65 movies. For his work on stage and screen, he has been awarded an Obie (True West), an Emmy (Death of a Salesman) and been nominated for an Academy Award (Places in the Heart). Malkovich is probably best known for the 1999 film Being John Malkovich.
September 29 and 30, 2011, 8 p.m.
THE INFERNAL COMEDY: CONFESSIONS OF A SERIAL KILLER – U.S. Premiere
Starring John Malkovich
Written and directed by Michael Sturminger
With Musica Angelica Orchestra
Conducted by Martin Haselböck
Cutler Majestic Theatre
Running Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes, no intermission
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Film: The Many Faces of Malkovich
To celebrate Malkovich’s appearance on the ArtsEmerson stage, four of the actor’s notable screen performances are highlighted. Deviations from the popular imagination’s conception of typical Malkovich casting (menacing, often dangerous characters), these critically acclaimed films demonstrate his excellence embodying intelligent, non-sinister roles as well as his varied collaborations with directors, within both Hollywood and the more rarefied world of European art cinema.
Films are screened at The Paramount Center (559 Washington St., Boston), in the Bright Family Screening Room. Tickets are $10, or $7.50 for members, and are available in advance at www.ArtsEmerson.org, or by calling 617-824-8400. Discounted tickets for seniors are $7.50, and $5 for all students with valid ID and children under 18. Discounted tickets are available at the Box Office only.
Friday Sept. 23, 6 p.m.
Sunday Sept. 25, 2 p.m.
The Killing Fields
Directed by Roland Joffé
With John Malkovich, Sam Waterston, Haing S. Ngor
UK 1984, 35mm, color, 141 minutes
Winner of three Academy Awards, The Killing Fields is a dramatic rendering of New York Times journalist Sydney Schanberg’s remarkable memoir about his experiences in Cambodia during its civil war, and his friendship with a Cambodian man who struggled to survive once the Khmer Rouge took Phnom Penh. Malkovich, who plays famed American photojournalist Al Rockoff, won acclaim for his performance, including the Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor.
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Friday Sept. 23, 8:45 p.m.
Saturday Sept. 24, 6 p.m.
A Talking Picture (Um filme falado)
Directed by Manoel de Oliveira
With Leonor Silveira, John Malkovich, Catherine Deneuve
Portugal 2003, 35mm, color, 96 minutes
Set in July 2001, a history professor (Silveira) and her daughter embark in Lisbon on a cruise with stops at the places that fill the historian’s imagination, from Pompeii to the pyramids at Giza. On ship a trio of 20th century goddesses—Delphine (Deneuve), Aphrodite (Stefania Sandrelli), and Helena (Irene Papas)—dine with ship captain John Malkovich, sharing fin-de-siècle regrets in a film sailing in seas darkened by Oliveira’s fin-du-monde mood. (Adapted from Pacific Film Archive notes)
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Saturday Sept. 24, 2 p.m.
Empire of the Sun
Directed by Steven Spielberg
With John Malkovich, Christian Bale, Miranda Richardson
U.S. 1987, 35mm, color, 152 minutes
Spielberg’s adaptation of J.G. Ballard’s coming of age novel follows Jim Graham (13 year old Bale), a British boy caught in the upheaval of the 1941 Japanese invasion of Shanghai. Separated from his family and later taken as a prisoner of war—along with Basie (Malkovich), an American sailor who has befriended him—Jim finds in a Japanese internment camp a substitute for his lost home even as he witnesses violence and brutality that strip him of his childhood innocence.
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Sunday Sept. 25, 6 p.m.
Being John Malkovich
Directed by Spike Jonze
With John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener, John Malkovich
U.S. 1999, 35mm, color, 112 minutes
The film that unforgettably and inventively articulates Malkovich’s mysterious allure. A secret portal on the 7 ½ floor of a Manhattan office building—a magical transporter into the very being of John Malkovich. “Why Malkovich? Perhaps because, in his brainy-balding, downtown-anonymous way, he himself possesses a kind of virtual mystique; he's like an ordinary guy who has taken on the existence of a star” (Owen Gleiberman).
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About ArtsEmerson
ArtsEmerson is the organization established by Emerson College to program the beautifully restored 590-seat Paramount Mainstage; the versatile, intimate Jackie Liebergott Black Box Theatre (“The Jackie”), which can seat up to 150 people; the state-of the art 170-seat Bright Family Screening Room (all located within the new Paramount Center, a cornerstone in the revitalization of downtown Boston); and the beloved, historic 1,186-seat Cutler Majestic Theatre in the heart of the Theatre District, fully restored by Emerson in 2003. Under the artistic leadership of Rob Orchard, ArtsEmerson gives Boston audiences a new level of cultural choice, bringing professional American and international work to its four distinct venues. In addition to its acclaimed theatre works, ArtsEmerson presents adventurous, independent and repertory films on weekends, and offers a diverse music program including cutting edge indie rock and world music. For more information, visit www.artsemerson.org.
About Emerson College
Located in Boston, Massachusetts, opposite the historic Boston Common and in the heart of the city’s Theatre District, Emerson is the only four-year private college in the United States devoted to teaching communication and the arts in a liberal arts context. The College has 3,453 undergraduates and 837 graduate students from across the United States and 50 countries. Supported by state-of-the-art facilities and a renowned faculty, students participate in more than 60 student organizations and performance groups, 14 NCAA teams, student publications, honor societies, television stations including the Emerson Channel, and WERS-FM, the nation’s highest rated student-run radio station. Emerson is internationally known for its study and internship programs in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., the Netherlands, China, and the Czech Republic. For more information, visit www.emerson.edu.
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On sale now at ArtsEmerson:
September 13–25, 2011, HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH: OUR VALUES IN QUESTION – World Premiere, Jackie Liebergott Black Box, Paramount Center
September 17, CONCERT: WHY?, Paramount Center Mainstage
September 24, CONCERT: Girls, Paramount Center Mainstage
September 27–October 2, 2011, Laurie Anderson’s DELUSION, Paramount Center Mainstage
September 29 and 30, 2011, THE INFERNAL COMEDY: CONFESSIONS OF A SERIAL KILLER starring John Malkovich, Cutler Majestic Theatre
October 12—16, 2011, THE SPEAKER’S PROGRESS, Sulayman Al-Bassam Theatre, Paramount Center Mainstage
October 25—30, 2011, YOU BETTER SIT DOWN: TALES FROM MY PARENTS’ DIVORCE, Paramount Center Mainstage
November 1—6, 2011, MABOU MINES DOLLHOUSE, Cutler Majestic Theatre
November 7—12, 2011, MOBY DICK, Jackie Liebergott Black Box, Paramount Center
November 15—20, 2011, ANGEL REAPERS – A Shaker musical, Cutler Majestic Theatre
January 20—29, 2012, SUGAR – World Premiere, Jackie Liebergott Black Box, Paramount Center
February 7 —12, 2012, 69˚S.– (The Shackleton Project), Paramount Center Mainstage
February 29 —March 4, 2012, CIRCA, Paramount Center Mainstage (Co-presented with Celebrity Series of Boston)
March 13—18, 2012, AMERIVILLE, Paramount Center Mainstage
March 24—April 1, 2012, THE ANDERSEN PROJECT – Robert Lepage/Ex Machina, Cutler Majestic Theatre
March 29—April 1, 2012, TOMÁŠ KUBÍNEK: CERTIFIED LUNATIC & MASTER OF THE IMPOSSIBLE, Paramount Mainstage
April 13—22, 2012, CAFÉ VARIATIONS, Cutler Majestic Theatre
For a complete list of film programming in the Bright Family Screening Room, visit http://bit.ly/aecinema.
