Timon of Athens recounts the story of Timon, a wealthy Athenian whose prodigal ways and overtrust of humanity lands him in fatal debt. It's one of Shakespeare's lesser known plays–it's also commonly considered coauthored and unfinished. Pale Fire's goal with this workshop is to finish it, somehow, for the eyes of a young and global audience.

We were drawn to Timon because of its allegorical nature, its intense contrasts, its hatable characters and the big question it asks: what does it mean to be a friend to someone, when they have needs you cannot serve? Tonight you'll see our first stabs at this question, these characters, and our aesthetics for a 2023 Timon.

We've developed three scenes: two from before Timon's demise and his retreat to the woods, and one after.

This is truly a work-in-progress showing. Time-permitting, we'll invite you to give feedback after the show, or through an online form. One day, we'll put Timon up as a full production. Tonight, you're helping us find the shape that full production will take.

 - Abigail, Henry, and Shayan, co-directors
and the Timon ensemble