The Visions of Simone Machard 2.0

A New Adaptation of the Lion Feuchtwanger and Bertolt Brecht Play by Oliver Mayer ADMISSION: Admission is free and open to everyone. Reservations required. RSVP beginning Monday, August 3, at 10 a.m. Reception to follow. DESCRIPTION: Experience an engaging staged reading of Oliver Mayer’s new adaptation of The Visions of Simone Machard, a classic play co-written by Lion Feuchtwanger and Bertolt Brecht in 1942 exploring themes of oppression and resistance. More about The Visions of Simone Machard: The original play featured a teenage girl working at a gas station and oil field during the German invasion of France in 1940. In dream sequences, she identifies with Joan of Arc and sees herself leading the Resistance. Mayer’s adaptation is set in a dystopian Los Angeles shaped by oil production and constant surveillance. Performed by USC School of Dramatic Arts students and faculty with design and staging by Evidence Room founding artistic director Bart DeLorenzo, this thought-provoking presentation evokes both our powerlessness in the midst of political upheaval and the urge to resist against all odds. Post-Performance Conversation: Following the reading, Oliver Mayer, Bart DeLorenzo, USC Dornsife professors Manuel Pastor and Béatrice Mousli, and student performers will discuss the creative process behind the adaptation and themes of resistance, community, and social change. Bios: Oliver Mayer is a playwright, poet, librettist, and professor of dramatic writing