ABOUT THE RESIDENCY
Eros is Marble is a novel modeled on the Kunstlerroman, or, artist’s novel. It follows the young artist, Augustine Denby, as he hones his work, while being interrupted by the recurring tragedies in his family, in the form of gruesome deaths. The last section of the novel, as Augustine moves into middle-age, is an extension of his play, Opiate d’Amour, exploring scenes and events that are not revealed in the play.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
John Jahnke is a New York–based artist, playwright, and director. He is the Artistic Director of the multidisciplinary theater company Hotel Savant. He has developed and/or presented work at many prestigious venues, including BAM Next Wave, MASS MoCA, Performance Space 122, The Public Theater, The MacDowell Colony, The Park Avenue Armory, Yaddo, The Watermill Center, and Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, among others.
Jahnke’s original theatre works are a testament to his artistic vision. They include Opiate d’Amour, which was presented in residence at MASS MoCA in 2021 and New York Live Arts in 2024 and is in development for a 2025 production. Other theater work includes the Men Go Down trilogy, which contains Part 1: Alas, The Nymphs (BAM Next Wave 2015), Part 3: Black Recollections (Performance Space 122 2011), and Part 2: The Sleep of Endymion. Other work also includes The Tightrope Walker (2015), The Archery Contest (Performance Space 122 2009. Henry Hewes Design Nomination: Set Design), and Funeral Games (The Public Theater, Performance Workshop 2004).
In-development work includes Eros is Marble, a novel begun at Yaddo in 2021 as the Mertz-Gilmore resident artist, and Monsieur Venus, a theatre work inspired by the novel of Rachilde. He has directed many short films, including the ones created for Opiate d’Amour at MASS MoCA.