ROCKY PHILLY EXTENDED
September 9 - October 3
Wed - Sat 8pm ~ $10
No performance Wednesday, September 16th
Bushwick Starr
Tickets available from Brown Paper Tickets
Van Cougar is proud to present the world premiere of Rocky Philly, a 90-minute play that weaves personal stories collected from citizens of Philadelphia with the movements of the characters from the classic Academy Award-winning film.
Rocky Philly juxtaposes two forms of storytelling: a cinematic underdog story created as entertainment and the personal stories of everyday people. We layer one over the other--story over movement--to emphasize the relationship between the way stories are told to us in modern entertainments, and told by us when connecting with members of our own communities.
The structure of the movie is held in tact: the well-known characters Mick, Adrian, Paulie, Jergen and Apollo Creed join a female Rocky in retelling the Rocky story. The actors recite recorded stories from Philadelphians verbatim; stories which have been carefully woven together by dramaturg Erica Rippy and director Mark Sitko. Speaking first-hand about their experiences in the City of Brotherly Love, these numerous storytellers unknowingly provide insight into the creation of a story--the beginning, end and in-between--revealing something much more comprehensive and accurate to their real lives than can be captured in a motion picture.
