Danse Macabre: The Testament of François Villon
Written by director Štěpán Šimek and actor Jean-Luc Boucherot, Danse Macabre is based on the work of François Villon, the 15th-century French poet, rabble-rouser, and thief. In this one-actor play, Boucherot performs poetry in both French and English from Le Testament, Villon’s monumental, autobiographical work written in 1461. The play also features dancer Briana Ratterman, who inhabits a life-sized figure of Death that both shadows and inspires the poet. Musica Universalis’s live score includes music of Villon’s time, along with settings of his poetry by modern composers including Kurt Weill and Georges Brassens.
Danse Macabre was created in 2019 and 2020, only to be shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic on the afternoon of opening night. The show was resurrected for a very successful run in the fall of 2021.
