A Modern Theatrical Thriller

Created and Performed by DANIEL ALLEN NELSON

Sympathy for the Devil is a full-length performance piece created and performed by actor Daniel Allen Nelson. His portrayal of seven different characters, interwoven with movement and dance, is part docudrama, part fantasy, and explores the circumstances and people surrounding a young gay man driven to destructive acts of murder--including his own suicide. It is a story hauntingly familiar in its portrayal of the sort of "inexplicable" and extreme acts that are all too often relegated to the sensationalism of television rather than given the more humane, poetic, and sociological exploration that the stage can provide.

Thematically, the piece explores the issues of hate crime and the perpetuation of violence and abuse within a traditionally oppressed subculture. Beyond this, and most centrally, it is a meditation upon relationships and the fulfillment of personal ideals within the context of modern American culture. Sympathy for the Devil poses the question: Can one find love in a world obsessed by aesthetics and the commodifying of affections?

Sympathy for the Devil was developed out of a year-long process of research and rehearsals. Daniel Allen Nelson's mentor in creating this piece was UCSB faculty member James Donlon, himself the creator of many solo-performed theatrical pieces. It received an initial workshop production at UCSB, funded in part by a UC President's Undergraduate Fellowship. Nelson, recently graduated from UCSB, was the recipient of the Theodore Hatlen award for his work on Sympathy for the Devil, among other performances. This engagement at Center Stage Theater is supported in part by funds form the Organizational Support Program of the California Arts Council, a state agency.

Please note:
This performance contains nudity, depiction of adult sexuality, and is intended for mature audiences only.

TICKETS: $12.00 General Admission; $10.00 Students Box Office Information

Tickets may also be purchased by telephone using
Visa, Master Card, and American Express.
Phone (805) 963-0408 (V / TDD).

LOCATION AND DIRECTIONS
Center Stage Theater is located in the Paseo Nuevo Center, upstairs at the intersection of Chapala and De la Guerra Streets, Santa Barbara, California.

Take Highway 101 to Carrillo Street, exit and turn toward the mountains (northbound turns right, southbound turns left). Proceed to Chapala Street (fourth light) and turn right. Proceed 1-1/2 blocks and turn left into either of two entrances to Paseo Nuevo. Park near the elevator, or proceed to roof-level parking.