God’s Fool

The life of Francis of Assisi has been told many times. Born to a rich merchant father in the 13th century, he had a wild youth as a soldier and playboy. In prison he changed. He walked with animals and friends proclaiming a new way of life. Many believed and followed him. Others tried to contain or corrupt him. He walked to Egypt to bring peace during the Crusades. In the spirit of Rumi, King David and Hildegard of Bingen he was a visionary who wrote one of the great love poems to the earth.

The iconoclastic creator of the form-changing multidisciplinary works The Garden of Earthly Delights and Vienna: Lusthaus returns with this new full-length work. Conceived and directed by Martha Clarke, with text by poet Fanny Howe, God’s Fool interprets the ancient story of St. Francis of Assisi: a man of privilege who chose community over self and lived among the poor, lepers, and others disenfranchised by society.