Katie Mitchell Brings Sebald's 'The Rings of Saturn' to Avignon Festival

British director Katie Mitchell, discovered in France at the 2011 Avignon Festival, returns in July 2012 with three productions: 'The Rings of Saturn' (July 8–11), 'Ten Billion' (July 23–26), and 'Written on Skin' at Aix-en-Provence (July 7–14). Her adaptation of W.G. Sebald's novel uses live video, sound effects, and multi-actor narration to mirror the book's fragmented structure. Mitchell, known for deconstructing classics, faced criticism in the UK for 'smashing up the classics' but continues her method of prioritizing emotion over textual explanation. Trained in Eastern Europe under Anatoli Vassiliev and Lev Dodine, she has worked at the National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, and Schaubühne Berlin. Her Avignon debut in 2011 featured a version of Strindberg's 'Miss Julie'. The 2012 festival also includes Simon McBurney as associate artist, marking a British invasion of French summer festivals.