THE MISANTHROPE

HERE Arts Center

The Misanthrope follows two cantankerous lovers who meet at a landmark punk bar in the timeless home for misanthropy, the East Village. Maddy (19), an overachiever and childhood competitive dancer, seeks new physical experiences to cover up the old ones. Hanes (24), a struggling standup with insomnia and a distaste for reality, struggles to give Maddy what she wants, which – of course – only causes her to want it more. Both need help but can’t help each other, making their relationship pretty much irresistible.

The more Maddy works to supplant her painful memories, the further away from her body – represented by a character called Dancer – she gets. Hanes's comedy may thrive on his manic depression and crippling self-awareness, but his body – a Chaplin-meets-Pierrot sad clown – gets a kick out of punishing him for it. The Misanthrope is about the desire for and pain of cultivating intimacy with another human being when you can’t quite live with the body that you’re in. This riff on Molière’s concept of a misanthrope is an anti-classic, anti-romantic love story that finds kinship with the music of The Velvet Underground and melancholic, East Village-born punk.

Featuring Michael Saguto, Samori Etienne, Clara Napolitano, and MaryKate Glenn.

By Olivia Hunt

Director Nadiya Atkinson

Stage Manager Annie Sheehy

Set & Lighting Designer Raven Zhan

Sound Designer Jake Eisner