Danse Macabre: The Testament of François Villon was a one-person show with music and puppetry based on the autobiographical poem, The Testament by the 15th century French poet, revolutionary rabble-rouser, balladeer, thief, prototypical “protest singer,” and a something of a medieval “rock star,” François Villon. Villon’s poetry and his wild lifestyle became an inspiration for several generations of poets, and he’s become something of a patron saint for countless counter-cultural young artists and singers all over the world, most notably Bob Dylan and the underground dissident artists and singers in the former Eastern Europe.

The play featured the French-American actor, Jean-Luc Boucherot as Villon performing in both English and French. Music for the play was created and performed by “Musica Universalis” a medieval music band, and featured an eerily heavy metal-sounding mixture of early and modern music performed on medieval instruments. As Villon is facing his own death, he recalls his wild and unruly life, rails against the oppressive society, contemplates the ravages of aging, makes amends, jokes around, performs his ballades, and confronts his own “alter ego” in the form of a mysterious and shadowy puppet-like creature created by Robert Amico and animated by Briana Ratterman.