CIVIL WARS, THE: A TREE IS BEST MEASURED WHEN IT IS DOWN | ROTTERDAM (1983) Theatre poster

Byrd Hoffman Foundation. No binding. Just About Fine. Robert Wilson (director), Philip Glass, David Byrne, Gavin Bryars (composers) Rotterdam: Rotterdamse Schouwburg, 1983. Vintage original 23 x 16.25" (58 x 41 cm.) poster, unfolded, just about fine. Original poster for the premiere of the "Rotterdam" movement of the 1984 opera directed by Robert Wilson with music by Philip Glass, David Byrne, Gavin Bryars and others, as performed in Rotterdam on September 11, 1983. The CIVIL warS was originally conceived as six movements, created in six different countries, that once premiered in their countries of origin would then be joined together into a daylong opera for the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. However, after adequate funding never surfaced for the project, the piece remained incomplete and is now known only for its five completed sections. It has never been performed in its entirety. This poster is for the "Rotterdam" movement, which was intended to mimic the look of Dutch landscapes and which included appearances by characters like Mata Hari, Queen Wilhelmina and William the Silent.