Ulysses

James Joyce’s Ulysses has fascinated, perplexed, scandalized, and/or defeated readers for over a century. Building on a rich history of staging modernist works—Gatz, The Sound and the Fury, The Select (The Sun Also Rises)—Elevator Repair Service takes on this Mount Everest of twentieth-century literature. Seven performers sit down for a sober reading but soon find themselves guzzling pints, getting in brawls, and committing debaucheries as they careen on a fast-forward tour through Joyce’s funhouse of styles. With madcap antics and a densely layered sound design, ERS presents an eclectic sampling from Joyce’s life-affirming masterpiece.

Lead funding for the Fisher Center at Bard’s production of Ulysses was provided by the T. S. Eliot Foundation. Major commissioning and development support was provided by Fisher Center LAB, which receives funding from members of the Live Arts Bard Creative Council, the Lucille Lortel Foundation, and the Fisher Center’s Artistic Innovation Fund, with lead support from Rebecca Gold and additional funding from The William and Lia G. Poorvu Family Foundation. Ulysses was commissioned by and developed at Symphony Space. On June 16th, 2022, Symphony Space presented an early iteration of the piece for its annual one-night-only “Bloomsday on Broadway” event.