For the past three years, the Speakeasy Society has taken audiences on a journey through the life of an injured soldier, as his perception of what is real and what isn’t has slowly slipped away. Now, they are bringing us the conclusion of this epic story with The Johnny Cycle: Part III – The Living.
The show was inspired by Dalton Trumbo’s novel, Johnny Got His Gun. Drawing on several historical and artistic wartime sources, The Johnny Cycle guides audiences through a personalized, individual, and epic experience examining the costs of war.
The Speakeasy Society’s Co-Artistic Director Matthew Bamberg-Johnson first read the book in high school, and it made such a lasting impression, even two decades later, that he wanted to pay it tribute.
“The novel was a starting point,” said Associate Artistic Director and Co-author Chris Porter said. “We also drew from actual accounts of WWI soldiers in the trenches, stories from torn families and home life, as well as details from Trumbo’s own life. Each first hand account dove a little deeper into the human experience of war.”
For those of you who may not have seen the first two sections of The Johnny Cycle over the last year years, that shouldn’t be any worry. “We designed this piece so that it can function both as a stand-alone show and part of a larger exploration and discussion over the full cycle – ranging through memory, trauma, and aftermath,” said Co-director Genevieve Gearhart. “It is important to us that new audience members can still see how the themes and narratives are tied together in the final installment creating a full and rich experience.”
Part III – The Living is the culmination of a passion that began almost two decades ago. The ornate Mountain View Mausoleum provides a complex emotional and physical landscape to explore Johnny’s isolation and longing to connect with the world of the living. Hopefully Johnny will find peace at last.
The Johnny Cycle: Part III – The Living runs Thursdays through Saturdays at 8:00 pm May 11th to May 27th with two previews May 5th and 6th at Mountain View Mausoleum in Altadena, California. Admission is limited and is ticketed at $65. The running time is estimated to be about 90 minutes, but performance lengths may vary.
For tickets and more info, visit: johnnytheliving.bpt.me
