The Studios of Key West presents Darius by Jean-Benoît Patricot

The Smash hit from Paris comes to the U.S. to benefit Hugh’s View,

The Studios’ Rooftop Visual & Performance Space

[Key West, Fl] Great perfumers know… the right scent can take you on a journey and transport you through time, kindling memories and powerful emotions along the way.

Such is the premise behind “Darius”, the elegant, evocative and magical play by Paris-based playwright Jean-Benoît Patricot, making its U.S. premiere on Saturday, Jan 5 and Sunday, Jan 6 at The Studios of Key West’s Helmerich Theater. Preferred ticketholders can enjoy a small plates dinner before the performance, inspired by the script and designed by Chef Martha Hubbard of The Roost. General tickets (which do not include dinner) are also available for the 8:00 PM performance.

The play, told in epistolary format, is an exchange of letters and e-mails between Claire Chambaz, a Parisian woman with a disabled son, and Paul Lagarce, a famous French parfumer. Her son, Darius, now nineteen years old, was born with a rare disease that has, over time, deprived him of all his senses. Now with only the sense of smell remaining, she appeals to the parfumer to create a series of scents that will help her dying son reminisce joyful moments in his short life. Bittersweet and poignant, the play is an unforgettable journey into olfactory memory.

Similar in format to A.R. Gurney’s popular play “Love Letters”, performed at The Studios in 2016, the play stars past Studios’ Board President Rosi Ware as Claire, and current Board President Stephen Kitsakos as Paul, all guided by the hand of esteemed stage director Murphy Davis.

“The first time I read the play I was deeply moved,” says Ware says Ware who has a strong connection to disabled adults through her long-time volunteer work for the Monroe County Association for ReMARCable Citizens. “The work I do with MARC gives me a window into the lives of the developmentally disabled, and helps me understand Claire’s experience, allowing me to prepare for the role.”

The special two-night performance is a fundraiser to help finance the remaining costs of constructing Hugh’s View, the rooftop terrace that will be open to the public by the end of 2019, and will offer an unparalleled view of the Gulf and Atlantic from one of the highest points on Key West. All proceeds will go towards this project.

Following the show, all audience members will enjoy a unique dessert created by Chef Hubbard. The event is generously supported by the Fleming Street Faith Center.

Tickets for Preferred Seating, which includes the small plates dinner, wine, performance and dessert are $125. General Seating which includes the performance and dessert following are $55.  Additional information can be found at www.tskw.org.

Image: Rosi Ware and Stephen Kitsakos reprise their on-stage chemistry in “Darius”.

Credit: Larry Blackburn

 

[livemarket market_name="KONK Life LiveMarket" limit=3 category=“” show_signup=0 show_more=0]