Vinegar Tom is a postmodern play by Caryl Churchill.  While the scenes themselves take place during the horrific witch hunts of the 16th and 17th centuries, the play’s episodic structure and its inclusion of songs encourages a director to take a more modern and experimental approach.  To that end, we’ve added an original score and video projections to a play that was already a challenging text.  The result is a production that is intense, engaging, and even a bit disturbing. 

We’ve tried to honor the intention of Caryl Churchill by staging this production using Brechtian techniques.  Brechtian theory encourages a production to be overtly theatrical, and in so doing, it pushes audiences to think more critically about the meaning behind every line, image and gesture.  You will see actors drop out of character; you will see exposed lighting instruments; and you may even find yourself humming along to a song with crude and offensive lyrics.  The purpose of these techniques is to “estrange” you from the story so that you may sit in judgment on the social issues being explored.