Faust Counter Faust

Production by the Center Opera Company, Minneapolis 

Projection system by Blumberg Photo Sound

Wigs by Wig World of Minneapolis

A music-theater collage by John Gessner and H. Wesley Balk, incorporating music by John Gessner, dialogue by H. Wesley Balk, and music and words from Berlioz: The Damnation of Faust; Boito: Mefistofele; Gounod: Faust; Goethe: Faust; Kipphardt: In the case of Robert J. Oppenheimer; Marlowe: The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus; Marowitz: Prologue to Doctor Faustus. 

John Faustus has conceived his version in 7 parts: 

Part I -- The ritual denunciation and exorcism of all existing versions of "Faust" in which the singers repeat the names of principal composers and authors backwards, i.e. "Ehteog," "Zoilreb," "Ewolram," "Donuog," etc. 

Part II -- The confession of Faust's sins against the earth, the air and the water 

Part III -- The Communion of Guilt 

Part IV -- The summoning of Lucifer 

Part V -- The reversal of all previous Faustian pacts 

Part VI -- The renunciation of Love 

Part VII -- The final expurgation of the extensions of Man It is Faustus' conviction that, once performed, the piece will act as an exorcism of the ills of technology, and of technology itself. 

There will be one ten minute intermission