Trap Door Theatre’s current staging of “The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui” might be the timeliest show in town…

Victor Quezada-Perez (Director)—is the founder and artistic director of the theatre company Cie Umbral located in Paris, France. Cie Umbral, meaning “threshold” or “dawn” in Spanish, began in 1998 with the goal to bring together and promote the work of artists through circus and clowning. As is characteristic of the company, every production embraces the physical gesture and practice of the European Clowning technique. He has received critical acclaim for all of his directorial work shown over the years at the prestigious Avignon festival, most recently in 2010 for his staging of Matei Visniec’s Old Clown Wanted. His focus on contemporary literature has lead to working with such living writers as Visniec, Jose Triana, Pierre Notte and Luis Sepulveda, and his invention of “la mise en clown” style of theatre. Quezada-Perez’s commitment to ensemble creation, a skill pertinent to the craft of clowning, is also seen is his active participation as a company performer. In addition to directing most of their work, he has performed in fifteen productions, as well as other various projects throughout France. An accomplished musician, his company regularly integrates music into their productions. Quezada-Perez has a Master’s Degree in History and Political Science and is a classically trained pianist. His first collaboration with Trap Door Theatre took place in 2012 when he staged as guest director Max Frisch’s The Arsonists; he also worked with some members from the Trap’s ensemble while they were touring France in 2014. The son of Chilean exiles, he has deep understanding of governmental violations of citizens’ rights and a need for rebellion.