(BORDENTOWN, NJ) -- Pegasus Theatre Company is currently presenting Yasmina Reza’s scathing hit comedy God of Carnage, weekends through October 23. Reza, known for cleverly turning mundane social situations into riotous comedies, quickly strips away all social niceties in God of Carnage to expose two couples trapped in the chaos of marriage and parenthood. Photographer John Posada was on hand to take photos.
Peter Bisgaier directs Christopher Hampton’s translation of this savagely funny examination of parenting and marriage.
In the Broadway and international sensation God of Carnage, two sets of parents meet to discuss how to handle a playground physical altercation between their sons. Over the course of the afternoon, tensions rise, biases are revealed, and the parents’ true humanity (or lack thereof) rises to the surface, resulting in what The New York Times called “ninety minutes of laughter that comes from the gut.”
“This is the perfect show to open our residency in Bordentown. It’s quick, sharp, and will show off what we do as a company,” said Director Peter Bisgaier. “God of Carnage is the kind of play we see our friends and neighbors reflected in, but not ourselves. Definitely not ourselves.”
God of Carnage lets the actors loose on stage to do their thing. It requires four fearless actors to fill these roles and battle it out in true ensemble style, while having the time of their lives. The quartet of actors in this production include: Righteous Jolly (Michael Novak), Mary Tomson (Veronica Novak), David Nikolas (Alan Raleigh), and Jennifer Nasta Zefutie (Annette Raleigh).
God of Carnage is directed by Peter Bisgaier, who is also Producing Artistic Director of the company. An award-winning director, Peter has directed over thirty productions, most recently Fiction and Bakersfield Mist (Pegasus Theatre Company), Picasso at the Lapin Agile, and Unnecessary Farce. In addition to directing, Peter is a prolific actor, playwright, and screenwriter.
The production features scenic design by Bordentown City resident Jennifer Szeto; costume design by Bordentown City resident Chrissy Johnson; lighting design by Robert Rutt; and sound design by Darren Sussman. Bordentown City resident Jonathan Martin serves as dramaturge, and the stage manager is Victoria Kaiser.
Here are more photos from the production.
Pegasus Theatre Company is a non-profit, professional theatre company in its fifth season, making its Bordentown debut. Pegasus’s mission is to illuminate and elevate human experiences through courageous and imaginative theatrical storytelling. Known for their thought-provoking and entertaining productions, Pegasus was nominated for 2020 Best Small Theatre in the JerseyArts.com People’s Choice Awards.
God of Carnage, written by Yazmina Reza, translation by Christopher Hampton, and direction by Peter Bisgaier runs October 7-23, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm, and Sundays at 3:00pm. Pegasus Theatre at St. Mary’s School, 45 Crosswicks St., Bordentown, NJ. Tickets are $24-28 and can be purchased online at www.pegasustheatrenj.org or by calling 609.759.0045.
John Posada is a New Jersey based photographer specializing in photographing live theatre and music performances. For more than 15 years, John has photographed live events where he mastered the techniques of timing and capturing fast moving action under challenging lighting conditions. Currently, John has spent the last 3 years concentrating on photographing almost 200 theatre productions for over 70 different theatres. Click here for John's website.
