These range from Leontyne Mbele-Mbong’s unself-consciously regal Pope Joan, the probably apocryphal ninth century pontiff who gave birth during a papal procession (and was promptly stoned to death), to Danielle Cain’s loquaciously self-absorbed Isabella Bird, the 19th century Scottish travel writer who chronicled her adventures in America, Asia and beyond. And it’s easy to revel in the sheer entertainment value of the guests’ tales. As the conversations overlap, realistically drowning each other out, director Delia MacDougall slyly, generally successfully foregrounds the elements that illustrate how far women have come in terms of rights and expectations and that foreshadow the personal conflicts and betrayals to be revealed in Marlene’s story. Take that opening dinner, thrown by Marlene to celebrate her promotion as the first female managing director at Top Girls Employment Agency. But the underlying critique of profit-centric economics and intimations of an ever-widening income inequality gap make the tale as contemporary as Churchill’s structure - jumping from fantasy to the present and then back a year - still seems cutting edge. On the surface, some of the 1982 script’s attack on Margaret Thatcher-era British politics (American translation: Reaganomics) may seem dated, as the story focuses on the fiercely career-oriented Marlene (Kendra Lee Oberhauser). The first scene alone is an irresistible theatrical feast, a dinner party for six notably headstrong women (at least two of them real) from different centuries, including the medieval Pope Joan and Lady Nijo, the 13th century emperor’s concubine who wrote an autobiography about her later decades as a wandering Buddhist nun - all talking at once in an action- and information-packed babble. It’s easy to see, watching Shotgun Players’ smart revival, why “Top Girls” has become one of Caryl Churchill’s most widely popular plays over the past two decades. ' Top Girls shows why it’s lonely up there' "Directed by Delia MacDougall with the precision and deft hand people expect of a brain surgeon." - Lou Fancher, SF Weekly "Performed with sizzling pizzazz." - Robert Hall, Repeat Performances " Top Girls is Shotgun’s finest production of the season to date. "A thought-provoking and sensitive revival." - Karen D'Souza, San Jose Mercury News " Top Girls is Churchill at her best, which is really saying something, and this Shotgun production allows us to fully revel in the complexity and brilliance of her vision." - Chad Jones, Theater Dogs revelatory." - Robert Hurwitt, SF Chronicle
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |