Ethos Presents The World Premiere of an Extraordinary New Performance :Humpty, a twisted nursery rhyme spectacle

Limited seating.  Advanced purchase recommended.

Ethos presents the World Premiere of :Humpty, a twisted nursery rhyme spectacle. Story by Melissa Vogt-Patterson. Directed by Bonnie Cullum. Original Music by Chad Salvata.

Loosely based on the nursery rhyme characters Humpty Dumpty, The Spoon, The Dish, The Cow, The Dog, and The Moon, ethos offers up a dark tale with adult aesthetics.  Melissa Vogt-Patterson’s story delves deeper into the simple tale on the surface of the nursery rhyme, uncovering a story of Civil War, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, slavery, and the disparity of the wealthy and the poor. Both a love story and a war tale, :Humpty defies expectation as the audience peers into a mix of live action, music, video, movement, and gossip.

Humpty begins his journey as the washed out General of King Koray’s (Moon) army. On the anniversary of the last battle of the civil war, he discovers that his closest neighbor, the wealthy mage Sir Wedgewood (Dish), has acquired a delicious new Mistress (Spoon) whom he keeps magically enchanted in the form of a silver spoon. Humpty’s lust for her knows no bounds, and he manages to steal her away from Sir Wedgewood at the King’s celebratory ball. Betrayal, magical armies, and mortal combat ensue as the characters fight for their lives, loves, and freedom.

The VORTEX is transformed into the Tea House of Mother Güs who greets and gossips with the audience, telling all about the Moon Kingdom.  New illustrated nursery rhymes describing each character and their part in the story are displayed in The Butterfly Bar.  The audience is invited to immerse themselves in the world of :Humpty and come to their own conclusions.

Featuring Mick D’arcy as General Humpty, Betsy McCann as Madame Kow, Jonathan Itchon as Sir Wedgewood, Gabriel Maldonado as King Koray, Justin LaVergne as Dogsbody, Melissa Vogt-Patterson as Mistress Spoon, and Jennifer Coy as Mother Güs. 

Scenic Design by Ann Marie Gordon. Lighting Design by Jason Amato. Costume Design by Melissa Vogt-Patterson. Sound and Video Design by Sergio R. Samayoa.  

Ethos is funded and supported in part by the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division. Produced in association with VORTEX Repertory Company.

www.vortexrep.org