The Saartje Baartman, a girl from the South African Khoikhoi tribe known for their uniquely large posteriors, was bought, sold and displayed all over the world as the sideshow oddity The Hottentot Venus. This production of Venus looks at this persona through the distorted lens of a carnivalesque freakshow. Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks explores Venus's rise and fall from the spotlight, the dealers involved, and the ways she became an object of the world?s desire.
Director's Statement:
Baartman's short life (1790-1815) is one of the earliest and forgotten documented examples of sexual exploitation of ?the other?. As a woman of color, I enter this play with a profound curiosity around the question "Who let this show go on?" In my production, I will resurrect this dark chapter of history that still reverberates in pop culture today, by inviting audiences to look, listen, and experience the complex ride that is Venus.
Date and Times:
Wed, Jan 28, 7:00 pm PREVIEW
Fri, Jan 30, 7:30 pm OPENING
Sat, Jan 31, 2:00 pm MATINEE
Sat, Jan 31, 7:30 pm
Wed, Feb 4, 7:30 pm
Thu, Feb 5, 7:30 pm
Fri, Feb 6, 7:30 pm
Sat, Feb 7, 7:30 pm CLOSING
For more information, please visit:
theatre.ucsd.edu
Director's Statement:
Baartman's short life (1790-1815) is one of the earliest and forgotten documented examples of sexual exploitation of ?the other?. As a woman of color, I enter this play with a profound curiosity around the question "Who let this show go on?" In my production, I will resurrect this dark chapter of history that still reverberates in pop culture today, by inviting audiences to look, listen, and experience the complex ride that is Venus.
Date and Times:
Wed, Jan 28, 7:00 pm PREVIEW
Fri, Jan 30, 7:30 pm OPENING
Sat, Jan 31, 2:00 pm MATINEE
Sat, Jan 31, 7:30 pm
Wed, Feb 4, 7:30 pm
Thu, Feb 5, 7:30 pm
Fri, Feb 6, 7:30 pm
Sat, Feb 7, 7:30 pm CLOSING
For more information, please visit:
theatre.ucsd.edu
