Past Shows
One Big Lie
"A savvy, tantalizing, funny...and for the
most part beguiling dance with the problem of evil -- metaphysical
and social...engaging, absorbing and electric...as penetrating as
it is entertaining."
— Robert Hurwitt, S.F. Chronicle
"One Big Lie reaffirms that Adams is
a voice meant for our time. ...Rhodes' score is accessible without
bending to pop conventions."
— Chad Jones, Oakland Tribune
"A word-dazzled, politically
savvy new musical...a deadly serious frolic with a wary eye on
the immediate future...One
Big Lie comes off as the respectable Guantanamo's offbeat
anarchist cousin."
— Rob Avila, SF Bay Guardian
"Adams brilliantly plays with words and ideas...The
ensemble of eight actors work together seamlessly....Novick tames
this wild new script with skill and intelligence...Suffused with
eccentric humor and abundant creativity...It’s big, ambitious,
challenging, and quite entertaining...what more could theatre strive
for?"
— Tom Kelly, SF Bay Times
"Vivid performances, punchy dialogue, and
smartass comedy."
— Chloe Veltman, SF Weekly
"An intriuging journey...Rebecca Novick
has staged this complicated play with verve and...imaginative strokes."
— Richard Dodds, Bay Area Reporter
Read the S.F. Chronicle Pink Section article about Liz Duffy Adams, author of One Big Lie
Interview on KPFA with One Big Lie Artists
On Wednesday, March 30, host C.S. Soong of KPFA's show "Against the Grain" interviewed director Rebecca Novick, playwright Liz Duffy Adams, and actor Paul Lancour about their experiences working on One Big Lie.
One Big Lie
by Liz Duffy Adams
directed by Rebecca Novick
played March 18 – April 16, 2005 at the EXIT
Theatre in San Francisco.
Crowded Fire Theater Company and the Playwrights Foundation present the World Premiere production of New York playwright Liz Duffy Adams' One Big Lie, a musical fable that pits gods against mortals in a search for ultimate truth that takes us from the ancient world to a future that seems all too familiar. Taking its title from the Bob Dylan lyric "All the truth in the world adds up to one big lie," this darkly humorous and timely tale was co-commissioned with the Playwrights Foundation and developed with Crowded Fire's company artists over the past year.
Traversing
time from a theatricalized a
ncient world through the industrial age
to a moment "just a little bit in the future," Lie follows
two sisters and a brother whose dilemmas repeat in each age as they
struggle to discover who's really holding the cards. With a rebel God
of Lies and a singing oracle who turns into a 20's reporter, Lie is
a hilarious romp that turns abruptly serious as our heroes are forced
to stand trial for "anti-patriotic acts." Drawing on stories
that resonate with all of us – from Ovid's myths to
the fast-talking film noirs of the 1930s to today's front-page news – Adams
moves from utopia to dystopia, reflecting back to us a world where
true freedom is possible only if we're willing to let our illusions
be shattered. In combination with Adams' witty lyrics, composer David
Rhodes' music accentuates the characters' absurdity and heartbreak.
At a time when we have every reason to distrust the powers that be,
Adams and Rhodes give us reason to hope that we can and should reclaim
that power for ourselves.
Composer: David Rhodes
Featuring: Cassie Beck, Adam Chipkin, Alexandra Creighton, Linda Jones*, Paul Lancour, Alan Quismorio, Juliet Tanner, Mollena Williams
Scenic Design: Melpomene Katakalos
Costume Design: Jocelyn Leiser
Lighting Design: Heather Basarab
Masks & Props Design: Pegeen McGhan
Dramaturg: Amy Mueller
Stage Manager: Michelle Thomas
Vocal Coach: Amy Greacen
Graphic Design: Julie Baum
*Member Actors' Equity Association. One Big Lie was
an Equity-