Justin Vivian Bond Stars in Brecht's 'A Man's A Man'

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Greg Reiner, announced today that acclaimed avant-garde performance artist Justin Vivian Bond will star in the company's upcoming new production of Bertolt Brecht's "A Man's A Man" as Leokadia Begbick, canteen proprietress (a role originated by Brecht's wife Helene Weigel), beginning performances Friday, Jan. 10 at CSC (136 East 13th Street). "A Man's A Man" will be directed by Brian Kulick and feature a new score and new songs by Tony Award-winning composer Duncan Sheik. Kulick and Shiek collaborated on last season's production of Brecht's "The Caucasian Chalk Circle" at CSC. Tickets for "A Man's A Man" will go on sale Dec. 12.

In this early knock-about, anti-just-about-everything farce by Brecht, an innocent dockworker Galy Gay in British Colonial India is rather unorthodoxly enlisted into Her Majesty's Armed Forces, where he is "dismantled like a car" and then reassembled into the ultimate fighting machine.

Mx Justin Vivian Bond is a writer, singer, painter, and performance artist. Mx Bond is the author of the Lambda Literary Award winning memoir "TANGO: My Childhood, Backwards and in High Heels," published by The Feminist Press and Susie Says..., a collaboration with Gina Garan (Powerhouse Books, 2012). V's debut CD "DENDRPOPHILE" was self-released on WhimsyMusic in 2011 and was followed by "SILVER WELLS" in 2012. In 2011 Justin Vivian's art exhibition "The Fall of the House of Whimsy" was presented at Participant Inc. in New York City. Mx Bond was nominated for a Tony Award for Kiki and Herb Alive On Broadway in 2007. Other notable theatrical endeavors include starring as Warhol Superstar Jackie Curtis in Scott Wittman's production of "Jukebox Jackie: Snatches of Jackie Curtis" as part of La Mama E.T.C.'s 50 Anniversary Season, originating the role of Herculine Barbin in Kate Bornstein's groundbreaking play "Hidden: A Gender," touring with the performance troupe The Big Art Group and appearing in John Cameron Mitchell's film "Shortbus." Other films include "Sunset Stories" (2012), "Imaginary Heroes" (2004), and "Fanci's Persuasion" (1995). Mx Bond is a recipient of The Ethyl Eichelberger Award, The Peter Reed Foundation Grant, and The Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists Award for Performance Art/Theater, an Obie and a Bessie.

CSC is the award-winning Off-Broadway theatre committed to re-imaging the classical repertory for a contemporary American audience. Founded in 1967, CSC uses works of the past as a way to engage in the issues of today. Highly respected and widely regarded as a major force in American theatre, it has become the home to New York's finest established and emerging artists, the place where they gather to grapple with the great works of the world's repertory. CSC has been cited repeatedly by all the major Off-Broadway theater awards: Obies, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Drama League and the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Body of Work.

CSC is currently presenting Shakespeare's "Romeo & Juliet," starring Elizabeth Olsen and Julian Cihi. CSC's 2013/2014 Season also features "The Last Two People On Earth: An Apocalyptic Vaudeville," performed by Mandy Patinkin and Taylor Mac, directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman (presented at the Abrons Arts Center); Bertolt Brecht's "A Man's A Man," featuring new music by Duncan Sheik, directed by Brian Kulick; and David Ives' "The Heir Apparent," adapted from the play by Jean-Fran�ois Regnard, directed by John Rando.

CSC's recent 45th Anniversary Season featured Anton Chekhov's "Ivanov," starring Ethan Hawke, Joely Richardson and Juliet Rylance, directed by Austin Pendleton; followed by the highly-acclaimed, sold-out production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's "Passion," directed by John Doyle, and starring Melissa Errico, Judy Kuhn and Ryan Silverman; and concluded with Brecht's "The Caucasian Chalk Circle," starring Christopher Lloyd, with music by Duncan Sheik, directed by Brian Kulick. Past productions include: Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" with Bebe Neuwirth; Brecht's "Galileo" with F. Murray Abraham; Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard" with Dianne Wiest and John Turturro; Chekhov's "Three Sisters" with Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jessica Hecht, Juliet Rylance and Peter Sarsgaard; David Ives' "The School for Lies" with Hamish Linklater; "Unnatural Acts" conceived by Tony Speciale; Ostrovsky's "The Forest" with Dianne Wiest and John Douglas Thompson; David Ives' "Venus in Fur" with Nina Arianda (Broadway transfer 2011/2012, Tony Award nom. Best Play); Shakespeare's "The Tempest" with Mandy Patinkin; Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya" with Maggie Gyllenhaal, Denis O'Hare and Peter Sarsgaard; Anne Carson's "An Oresteia"; Chekhov's "The Seagull" with Dianne Wiest and Alan Cumming; David Ives' "New Jerusalem" with Richard Easton; "Richard III," "Richard II" and "Hamlet" with Michael Cumpsty; Yasmina Reza's "A Spanish Play" with Zoe Caldwell; Steve Martin's adaptation of "The Underpants"; Philip Glass's "In the Penal Colony"; Bill Irwin's adaptation of "Texts for Nothing"; "Waiting for Godot" with John Turturro, Tony Shalhoub and Christopher Lloyd; "Entertaining Mr. Sloane" with Brian Murray; Harold Pinter's "The Birthday Party" with David Strathairn and "Faust" Parts I and II.

For further information on Classic Stage Company, call (212) 352-3101, visit the theatre in person at 136 East 13th Street, or go to www.classicstage.org.