Joseph Hubertus Pilates: An Authentic Work of Fiction

Joseph Pilates was a circus performer, prisoner of war, body worker, and creator of the fastest growing fitness regimen in the world. His life is examined and elaborated on in Joseph Hubertus Pilates: An Authentic Work of Fiction, the premiere work of Under Construction Productions.

Born near Dusseldorf, Germany in 1880, Joseph Hubertus Pilates endured a sickly childhood plagued with asthma to rickets to rheumatic fever. By the age of 14, Pilates’ unwavering dedication to physical fitness had transformed his physique to an ideal that was used as a model for anatomical charts. As an interned German national in World War I on the Isle of Man Joe worked as a nurse and caring for patients immobilized by war injuries. Using bedsprings, ropes, and chairs, Joseph developed a method of exercise that considerably improved the recoveries of patients.

What has emerged is a unique form of physical conditioning that has expanded from a small audience of clients to its current level of mainstream popularity. Sharon Stone does it. So do Julia Roberts and Madonna. Little is known, however, about the man whose creation preserved the lives of his followers as millions died during a 1918 influenza epidemic. A full live band, eleven actors, and Pilates come together to create an interpretation and celebration of the life of Joseph Pilates.

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