Machen Theater Adaptation in Chicago!

Wildclaw Theatre will be launching an ambitious adaptation of Arthur Machen's classic weird tale, "The Great God Pan," later this month at Chicago's stately Athenaeum Theater. The story was renowned for sparking fierce controversy in its own time of Victorian norms, and later became a cherished example of bizarre atmosphere. It was also highly praised by H.P. Lovecraft. Look for the play to run February 24th-March 30th, Thursdays to Sundays.

Perhaps if it goes over well enough, those of us outside Chicago will be fortunate enough to see it exported, though that's more of an obvious longshot at this point. Additionally, it's quite surprising rare productions of gourmet weird like this don't work out recording rights. There seem to be a reasonable number of connoisseurs, myself included, who would be glad to see it on a DVD collection. But alas, perhaps screenplay rights or practicality prevent such an innovation. In any case, here's the description from Wildclaw's page about it:

Adapted by Charley Sherman, the novel was published in the 1890’s to great controversy, due to its decadent mixture of sex and horror. One paper described it as “An incoherent nightmare of sex”. Another said it was “The most acutely and intentionally disagreeable book yet seen in English”.

And yet it has proved to be one of the most influential horror stories of all time, inspiring writers such as H.P. Lovecraft, Stephen King, Clive Barker, and Peter Straub. In fact, Lovecraft once said of Machen, “Of creators of cosmic fear raised to its most artistic pitch, few can hope to equal Arthur Machen”.

And, as such, our challenge is to capture such an intense expression of fear upon the Chicago stage in 2008.

-Grim Blogger