Mildred's Umbrella Announces 2018-2019 Season
By: Julie Musbach Jun. 06, 2018
Mildred's Umbrella Theater Company (MU) has planned a powerhouse duo of premieres and a hard-hitting issue-based reading series for its inaugural season at Chelsea Market Theater. Reflecting its mission to support the work of women in theatre, the company will produce only works by women, with a majority of the prominent roles in leadership and casting filled by women as well.
The season opens with the Houston premiere of Jen Silverman's award-winning play, THE MOORS, a Susan Smith Blackburn Prize finalist which was first produced by Yale Repertory Theatre. Directed by Artistic Director Jennifer Decker and inspired by the lives and works of the Brontë sisters, this black comedy centers around two spinster sisters and their dog who live an isolated existence on the bleak English Moors, dreaming of love and of power in a time and place that prohibits women from obtaining either. The arrival of a governess as the unwitting accomplice in their quest for a new life, combined with the crash landing of a moor-hen set in motion a new and dangerous path for all three.
The second production of the mainstage season will be the Houston premiere of Cherise Castro Smith's THE HUNCHBACK OF SEVILLE, directed by Philip Hays, an expert in commedia dell'arte and classical theatrical stylings. This is the second play by Castro Smith produced by Mildred's Umbrella, following the delightful dark comedy, FEATHERS AND TEETH in 2017. Set at the turn of the century, after Christopher Columbus's return from the New World, HUNCHBACK is a madcap re-telling of Spanish history and the evils of colonialism. As Queen Isabella is dying, her brilliant and disfigured adopted sister, Maxima Terrible Segunda, is called in from her forced seclusion to run the county. Maxima then works her way through politics, religion and prejudice to save her country without sacrificing herself in the process. Lauded by the Seattle Times as "A mashup of historical critique and rambunctious snark... [a] gleefully revisionist riff on rampaging colonialism," HUNCHBACK promises to deliver a night of raucous entertainment.
In addition to the two mainstage plays, MU will produce a series of readings touching on topical issues. The first reading, curated by Co-Literary Manager Elizabeth A.M. Keel and in collaboration with The Classical Theatre, will be a presentation of DIANA OF DOBSON'S. First written in 1908, this play was largely ignored in its own time due to the subject matter and the fact that the playwright was a woman. Combining the efforts of MU and Classical Theatre (which is known for producing classic plays over 100 years old), this play speaks to the historic silencing of marginalized peoples and attempts a recovery of their works. The reading will be accompanied by a talkback with the artists and curator Elizabeth A.M. Keel. The second reading series event will be a multi-night affair entitled Consenting Bodies. Curated by Co-Literary Manager Bree Bridger, this event will feature a series of three play readings all addressing the question 'What is consent?" Bridger noted, "We've noticed something becoming very clear in the wake of the #MeToo and #NotInOurHouse conversation: what consent is - and what is not - doesn't seem very clear to a lot of people. Mildred's Umbrella seeks to contribute to this conversation by highlighting the works of playwrights exploring the matters around consent and violations of it in our romantic, sexual, and platonic relationships."
New for the 2018-19 season, MU is launching an outreach program that uses theatre to help bring awareness to issues affecting Houston women. The program, Mildred's Umbrella Partners for A.R.T. will combine the talents of MU's artists with Houston-area women's service organizations in a collaborative effort to bring awareness to the service organization's cause. The program will include staged readings and workshops touching on movement, improv, writing, and role-playing. Additional information will be announced as events are confirmed.
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