When I first read Dan Harder’s Killer Story, I was immediately drawn to this well-spun tale with its many pleasures: playful poetry, luscious imagery, food for thought and plenty of jokes to boot. With its Sam Spade references, modern-day femme fatale and the invitation to a boozy, cabaret-inspired evening, what’s not to like?
However, having now spent more time kicking around in Harder’s noir world, I realize that within this palatable package, Harder invites us not just to revel in the art of story-telling, but also to probe the multiple roles that stories play in our lives. To entertain us, sure, but also to motivate, seduce, delude and destroy. Within the framework of this jazz-infused, post-modern noir, Harder harkens us back to our story-telling forefathers, the Greeks, and beckons us to remember what core passions drive us, even as we strive, Icarus-like?, to attain ever greater, even god-like, power and potential.
Where better to set this tale and produce its premiere than Berkeley, where so many have sought and seek to radically improve the human condition, whether through militant activism, zen-like mindfulness, or high-tech innovation? May the play inspire some rich conversations about all of the above… and whether it does nor not, may those Killer Cocktails flow!
- Michelle Haner, Director
For more information about Michelle visit her website http://www.michellehaner.com/
However, having now spent more time kicking around in Harder’s noir world, I realize that within this palatable package, Harder invites us not just to revel in the art of story-telling, but also to probe the multiple roles that stories play in our lives. To entertain us, sure, but also to motivate, seduce, delude and destroy. Within the framework of this jazz-infused, post-modern noir, Harder harkens us back to our story-telling forefathers, the Greeks, and beckons us to remember what core passions drive us, even as we strive, Icarus-like?, to attain ever greater, even god-like, power and potential.
Where better to set this tale and produce its premiere than Berkeley, where so many have sought and seek to radically improve the human condition, whether through militant activism, zen-like mindfulness, or high-tech innovation? May the play inspire some rich conversations about all of the above… and whether it does nor not, may those Killer Cocktails flow!
- Michelle Haner, Director
For more information about Michelle visit her website http://www.michellehaner.com/