Creative License’s “God of Carnage” Roars Into Cohoes Music Hall This May

By Aileen Burke On Apr 10, 2022

The Creative License Theater Collective is presenting the award-winning, dark comedy of manners God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza at the Cohoes Music Hall, running May 6th through May 15th. The production is directed by Phil Rice and features Creative License founders Aaron Holbritter and Casey Polomaine, as well as regular collaborators Ian LaChance and Brigitta Giulianelli.

God of Carnage’s show art. / Matthew G. Hamm

Making his Creative License debut, seasoned director Phil Rice has done highly regarded work throughout the region at Curtain Call Theater, Theater Barn and elsewhere.

“Phil was my high school drama teacher at Shaker (High School, Latham) and everything I ever needed to know about theater, I learned from him,” says co-producer and performer Polomaine. “We’ve worked together often as director and stage manager, but in twenty two years, it’s the first time he’s directed me.”

Holbritter, who has been directed multiple times by Rice, including in a 2015 production of Carnage at Theater Barn in New Lebanon, was also keen to have the director on board. “That experience was so wonderful, I felt if I was going to revisit the role, I had to do it under the same director. Thankfully, he said yes.”

When their eleven year-old sons are involved in a playground altercation, it’s up to the Novaks and the Raleighs, as parents, to come together, get to the bottom of what happened, and move on, maturely, to a place of mutual respect and understanding. However, between Alan’s distractions, Annette’s anxiety, Michael’s pontifications and Veronica’s sanctimony, it isn’t long before decorum disappears, allegiances shift and things get messy. God of Carnage, by French playwright Reza and translated by Christopher Hampton, made its Broadway debut in 2009 with James Gandolfini – winning the TONY Award for Best Play.

God of Carnage is the second show in Creative License’s newly established residency as the non-musical theater company at Cohoes Music Hall. In the coming weeks, they’ll be announcing the shows and dates for their 2022-23 season, the company’s ninth.

“Our experience working at the Music Hall has been so welcoming and supportive, we can’t wait for you to see what we have in store!”

Tickets are currently on sale through the Cohoes Music Hall box office.