The Picture of Dorian Gray, presented by Box Tale Soup

–An original adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s novel commissioned by the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library

“What does it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?”

Award-winning theater company Box Tale Soup returns to the Clark Library with a re-mounting of their original adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray, complete with a reimagined set and new puppets. This production of Oscar Wilde’s haunting story of evil, debauchery, and scandal features exquisite puppetry and a powerful original soundtrack. Dorian Gray, young and exceptionally beautiful, sinks deep into a frivolous lifestyle of glamorous luxury and selfish abandon, seemingly unchanged by corruption and untouched by age. But behind a thick, locked door, beneath a dark, heavy curtain, Dorian’s portrait tells a different story….

Featuring: Noel Byrne, Antonia Christophers, and Mark Collier

Presentation Length: 70 minutes with no intermission, followed by a Q & A session with Box Tale Soup members

Box Tale Soup is an award-winning theater company whose critically acclaimed productions have delighted thousands of people in the UK and abroad. The name comes from their signature style, packing whole handmade worlds into a vintage trunk with a delicious mix of puppetry, movement, theater, and music. Dance-like choreography and fervent attention to detail combine with beautifully considered writing that puts the story first—this is an artisanal, handcrafted approach to theater with a style unlike any other. Seamlessly blending multiple disciplines, including puppetry, mask, physical theater, and all-original music, in the world of Box Tale Soup even the stories you know aren’t quite as you remember.

Arts on the Grounds creates intersections of literature and the performing arts. Events have included modern interpretations of classical theater and site-specific productions designed for the Clark grounds. The program engages a broad new range of audiences and brings the Library’s rich collections to life through performance.

The presentation is free to attend with advance registration, and will be held in-person at the Clark Library. Seating is limited at the Clark Library; walk-in registrants are welcome as space permits.

[The second presentation of Dorian Gray will show at 5:30 p.m.]

Photo credit: Courtesy of Box Tale Soup