The Threepenny Opera: More Meaningful than Ever

If truth be told, UCSB Theater’s Annie Torsiglieri probably would have preferred that The Threepenny Opera, which she is directing at UCSB’s Performing Arts Theater, wouldn’t have turned out quite so resonant for its November 15-23 run. But she very intentionally chose Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill’s groundbreaking musical – and dark satirical commentary on capitalism, power and corruption – to produce at this time. 

“We do theater to change the world in some small or large way, so I want to do things that are really juicy and meaningful,” Torsiglieri said. “I knew this would run in conjunction with the election, and I figured this could make people sneakily pay attention in a way that makes sense for our world right now. This play is about desperation, and what desperate people will do to survive, including maybe following people who are shiny and bright, but don’t ultimately have their interests at heart. And it’s about how power changes hands, what people will do to stay in power. Ultimately, there’s the conclusion that the people with the most power are the people who get to tell the story.”

UCSB’s production of Brecht and Weill’s 1928 work comes via the recent adaptation by Simon Stephens (of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time fame), set in a gritty underworld where the characters navigate the streets of the East End of London. Weapons, assault, and even murder mark the action. 

“It’s nasty and saucy and hilarious and disturbing,” Torsiglieri said. “We witness some very disturbing behavior perpetrated on other people, and then all of a sudden they’re singing a song. It flips back and forth, which is a big part of the humor.”

That was the intent of the musical’s creators, with Brecht’s biting lyrics set off by Weill’s jazz-infused score, including the song “Mack the Knife” – actually a dark and violent number originally – which Frank Sinatra turned into a jaunty swing tune. 

“The lyrics of the song are horrifying,” Torsiglieri said. “The fact that it became a sexy jazz hit is so crazy.”

But shaking things up in a jarring way was precisely the goal of Brecht and Weill in writing The Threepenny Opera.

“The creators wanted to break the form of what was usually done theatrically at that time,” Torsiglieri said. “They weren’t writing merely to entertain people but rather to create a theatrical experience that was larger than life, one that confronted people, jolted the audience awake into awareness of the systems that allow the common man to be exploited in order to benefit those on top.”

The director’s take on the new adaptation sets the story in a theater – a sort of meta twist that features reversals of power and other assorted layers, she said. “It’s a dilapidated old theater, very grimy and broken down, and we have no furniture, which with the costumes adds the sense of desperation.” 

The production features student actors along with a number of lauded professionals behind the scenes, including Music Director Brad Carroll, multi-instrumentalist Jim Connolly creating the soundscapes, and Christina McCarthy’s choreography. And while the performers might be relatively young, and the action sounds like fun for the family, “Threepenny is definitely not for children or the super squeamish,” Torsiglieri said. 

“We have lots of content advisories in the lobby because this is not a happy-go-lucky play,” she said. “Hopefully it will really shake some people in a good way, shine a spotlight on some things that are painful to look at, but critically important.”

For tickets and showtimes, visit www.theaterdance.ucsb.edu