Premiere US Premiere
Production Language English
Country of Origin United States
Description Based on the novel Gustave Flaubert spent most of his life writing, Wilson developed this work for the stage with iconic American gospel singer Bernice Johnson Reagon. The plot of the original details one night in the life of the Egyptian Saint Anthony the Great, where he is tempted by a host of evil characters and objects. For this piece Johnson and Wilson delved into the theological and mystical ruminations of the original through the incorporation of traditional African-American gospel and folk music, which was performed by Reagon’s acclaimed gospel ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock. Wilson’s spare, austere style was punctuated with vibrant sections of African dance and elements of church revery. It premiered for the Ruhr Triennale, at the Gebläsehalle Duisburg Nord, in Germany on June 20, 2003, with performances continuing in Spain and London throughout the fall of that year. Subsequent revivals of this piece were presented for the next two years throughout the world.
Identifier 2004f.00802
