KAFKAESQUE!
Book, music and lyrics by James Harvey
Directed by Ashley Brooke Monroe
As Franz Kafka awoke one morning from uneasy dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a new musical comedy.
Kafkaesque!, a world premiere featuring book, music and lyrics by James Harvey (Prime Day, The Bald Faced Truth, The Crack in the Ceiling), recently played at 154 Christopher (formerly the New Ohio Theatre). The production was directed by Ashley Brooke Monroe (Hamilton national tour, Life of Pi; The New Group: All of Me) and produced by Patrick Trettenero and Staro Industries (Here Lies Love).
Franz Kafka may never have intended for his name to become an adjective, but nevertheless, Kafkaesque! celebrates his body of work by layering predicaments from his stories onto one contemporary American family. The result is horrifying bodily transformations, artistic eating disorders, and cancel culture run amok, all under the dark umbrella and relentless grind of late-stage capitalism. This hilarious and genre-bending musical was one of the hits of the 2023 New York Theater Festival.
The Czech-born German language writer Franz Kafka (1883-1924) is renowned for his surreal and existential works that explore themes of alienation and bureaucracy. His most notable novels include The Trial, a haunting story of a man trapped in a nightmarish legal system, and The Metamorphosis, which famously depicts a man who wakes up one morning transformed into a giant insect. A century after his death, Kafka’s writings continue to fascinate readers with their profound insights into the human condition.
The production starred James Harvey as Franz Kafka, Alexandra Nader (“The Story Pirates,” “America’s Got Talent”) as Greta, Josh Nasser (Wicked Frozen, PharmaBro: An American Douchical) as Michael, Emily Olcott (Prime Day, OutofTouch, The Mysteries) as Karen/Josephine, and Curry Whitmire (The Tower, An Axemas Story) as Gregor.
The creative team includes choreographer Sara Gibbons (Becky Nurse of Salem, Indecent), set designer Taylor Friel (Beyond the Horizon, Where Women Go), costume designer Maggie Walsh (Everyone Is Doing Great) and lighting designer Bentley Heydt (How to Dance in Ohio, Life of Pi).