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The Wife of Bath’s Tale

Presented by Lorella Loftus and Vortex Repertory Company at The VORTEX

May 28-June 13, 2010

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This fresh, bright adaptation of The Wife of Bath’s Tale from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, offers a modern twist on an old tale. The Wife of Bath’s Tale blends a contemporary character and setting with clever video, original illustrations and music, a splash of Middle English, and a sprinkling of time-travel. Insightful and humorous, and always surprising, it proves that the more things change, the more they stay the same. But what is the same for one, may not be the same for all ….

This one-woman show stars Lorella Loftus (last seen in Good Things). Also featuring Andy Agne (Sleeping Beauty). Directed by Karen Jambon (Eurydice). Lighting design by Patrick Anthony (Eurydice). Scenic Design by Elaine Jacobs (Good Things). Illustrations by Ann Marie Gordon (Sleeping Beauty). Video Design by Kell Condon (new to Austin from NY). Sound Design by David DeMaris (R.U.R). Costume Design by Talena Martinez (Oceana). This production is presented in honorable memory of Shekhar Govind.

• At-a-
  Glance

  • Venue Info

    The VORTEX

    2307 Manor Road
    Austin, TX 78722

    Full map and directions

  • Admission Info

    Tickets:

     $30-$10 Available at 512-478-LAVA (5282) or www.vortexrep.org

    $30-$25 Priority Seating, $20-$15 General Admission, $10 Starving Artists

    Thursdays and Sundays 2-for-1 admission with donation of 2 non-perishable food items. Limited seating. Advanced purchase recommended.

    Info Phone: 512-478-LAVA (5282)

    Email

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  • Dates & Times

    Dates:
    May 28-June 13, 2010

    Times:
    

    8pm

    
    

  • Accessibility Info

    Currently, no accessibility information is available for this event.

  • Video & Image Gallery

    Currently, additional images/videos have not been submitted for this event.

  • Member Reviews

    Add review/comment

    • Event Name: The Wife of Bath’s Tale
      "Clever and Demanding"
      Review posted by: Steven Fearing from Austin, TX, Jun 01, 2010
      

      Straddling the fence of satire and direct polemic, Lorella Loftus deftly delivers a fast paced onslaught of bawdy reflections on Chaucer’s insight from the Wife of Bath: women most desire to be in... Expand

      Straddling the fence of satire and direct polemic, Lorella Loftus deftly delivers a fast paced onslaught of bawdy reflections on Chaucer’s insight from the Wife of Bath: women most desire to be in control of their husbands and lovers. With five husbands buried, Loftus schools us on marriage, chastity, domination, the pernicious power of religion and the pre-eminence of female erotic power to combat all adversaries of female self-determination. This adaptation is clever and theatrically demanding. Loftus is up to the task! Andy Agne serves as great foil for her exhortations and truly excels in depicting the men in her life from the well-crafted “video” design by Kell Condon. Sound design by David DeMaris and graphic illustrations by Ann Marie Gordon are perfectly rendered. Although the cockney accent and smattering of Middle English were too “thick” to decipher every word, couples were listening and probably took these lessons home with them, for better or worse. Collapse

    • Event Name: The Wife of Bath’s Tale
      "Belly laughs included"
      Review posted by: Friend of the Wife of Bath from Austin, Texas, May 31, 2010
      

      Expect something different when you enter Vortex’s theater. You will be catapulted through time as you are allowed to view Chaucer's "Wife of Bath" from different historical angles. The most... Expand

      Expect something different when you enter Vortex’s theater. You will be catapulted through time as you are allowed to view Chaucer's "Wife of Bath" from different historical angles. The most delightful angle is the talkative lady on the bus who eventually wins over the doubtful stranger next to her. There is no need to know anything about the original Wife of Bath; the actress, Lorella Loftus will share everything that is important for you to know about the original story. Her “Rules for a Successful Marriage” were amusing and caused some laugh-out-loud moments. The multi-media experience also brought the performance to life, as did the actress and actor. In fact, Andy Agne added a lot to the show. On the other hand some of the readings from the original text and the additional endeavors to recreate the poetry in our language were hard to sit through. London accents are difficult for me sometimes; you might have an easier time. The only question that remains for me is, Who is Bath? Collapse

    • Event Name: The Wife of Bath’s Tale
      "A New Take On An Old Tale"
      Review posted by: Lassie from Austin TX, May 31, 2010
      

      Even with a few verbal missteps, The Wife of Bath's Tale made for an amusing evening. Lorella Loftus' interpretation of the Wife in various historical periods adds multiple layers to the title... Expand

      Even with a few verbal missteps, The Wife of Bath's Tale made for an amusing evening. Lorella Loftus' interpretation of the Wife in various historical periods adds multiple layers to the title character. Riding along with her on the bus to Canterbury, you're carried through her world as she talks non-stop to her seat-mate and the rest of the travelers. The pantomime antics of Andy Agne were the jewel of the show - often stealing the scene! His silent, but very spot-on portrayal of the unwilling recipient of the Wife's tirades had the audience laughing so much...he had a hard time maintaining his composure. Also, it doesn't hurt to have an ear for various English accents - not to mention attempting to understand the Middle-English dialogue passages. All in all, an entertaining evening listening to the issues surrounding marriage, as seen through one woman's eyes. Collapse

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    Currently, additional images/videos have not been submitted for this event.

• Member
  Reviews

  • Member Reviews

    Add review/comment

    • Event Name: The Wife of Bath’s Tale
      "Clever and Demanding"
      Review posted by: Steven Fearing from Austin, TX, Jun 01, 2010
      

      Straddling the fence of satire and direct polemic, Lorella Loftus deftly delivers a fast paced onslaught of bawdy reflections on Chaucer’s insight from the Wife of Bath: women most desire to be in... Expand

      Straddling the fence of satire and direct polemic, Lorella Loftus deftly delivers a fast paced onslaught of bawdy reflections on Chaucer’s insight from the Wife of Bath: women most desire to be in control of their husbands and lovers. With five husbands buried, Loftus schools us on marriage, chastity, domination, the pernicious power of religion and the pre-eminence of female erotic power to combat all adversaries of female self-determination. This adaptation is clever and theatrically demanding. Loftus is up to the task! Andy Agne serves as great foil for her exhortations and truly excels in depicting the men in her life from the well-crafted “video” design by Kell Condon. Sound design by David DeMaris and graphic illustrations by Ann Marie Gordon are perfectly rendered. Although the cockney accent and smattering of Middle English were too “thick” to decipher every word, couples were listening and probably took these lessons home with them, for better or worse. Collapse

    • Event Name: The Wife of Bath’s Tale
      "Belly laughs included"
      Review posted by: Friend of the Wife of Bath from Austin, Texas, May 31, 2010
      

      Expect something different when you enter Vortex’s theater. You will be catapulted through time as you are allowed to view Chaucer's "Wife of Bath" from different historical angles. The most... Expand

      Expect something different when you enter Vortex’s theater. You will be catapulted through time as you are allowed to view Chaucer's "Wife of Bath" from different historical angles. The most delightful angle is the talkative lady on the bus who eventually wins over the doubtful stranger next to her. There is no need to know anything about the original Wife of Bath; the actress, Lorella Loftus will share everything that is important for you to know about the original story. Her “Rules for a Successful Marriage” were amusing and caused some laugh-out-loud moments. The multi-media experience also brought the performance to life, as did the actress and actor. In fact, Andy Agne added a lot to the show. On the other hand some of the readings from the original text and the additional endeavors to recreate the poetry in our language were hard to sit through. London accents are difficult for me sometimes; you might have an easier time. The only question that remains for me is, Who is Bath? Collapse

    • Event Name: The Wife of Bath’s Tale
      "A New Take On An Old Tale"
      Review posted by: Lassie from Austin TX, May 31, 2010
      

      Even with a few verbal missteps, The Wife of Bath's Tale made for an amusing evening. Lorella Loftus' interpretation of the Wife in various historical periods adds multiple layers to the title... Expand

      Even with a few verbal missteps, The Wife of Bath's Tale made for an amusing evening. Lorella Loftus' interpretation of the Wife in various historical periods adds multiple layers to the title character. Riding along with her on the bus to Canterbury, you're carried through her world as she talks non-stop to her seat-mate and the rest of the travelers. The pantomime antics of Andy Agne were the jewel of the show - often stealing the scene! His silent, but very spot-on portrayal of the unwilling recipient of the Wife's tirades had the audience laughing so much...he had a hard time maintaining his composure. Also, it doesn't hurt to have an ear for various English accents - not to mention attempting to understand the Middle-English dialogue passages. All in all, an entertaining evening listening to the issues surrounding marriage, as seen through one woman's eyes. Collapse

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