Show - Get your ass in the water and swim like me

In partnership with the Festival d’Automne in Paris. What is a ‘Toast’ ? They are rhyming poems – mischievous, irreverent and subversive – featuring imaginary, rebellious heroes from the African-American oral tradition. Known for incorporating archival material into their performances, The Wooster Group has teamed up with the talented actor Eric Berryman to bring to life a collection of Toasts recorded and edited by folklorist Bruce Jackson in 1976. Immersed in the intimate, nocturnal atmosphere of a radio studio, the audience becomes a witness to the stories of various fictional characters. During the show’s opening toast, Shine hurls at the white people left on the deck of the Titanic—who are asking him for help—that famous line which gives the show its title: ‘Get your arse in the water and swim like me’. Drummer Jharis Yokley punctuates his playing – ranging from gentle ripples to frenzied solos – to accompany these tales that continue to resonate in the present day. >>> Running time : 1 hour >>> Performance in English with French subtitles