EgoPo's MACHINAL Opens 4/22

On April 22, EgoPo presents the opening of Sophie Treadwell's expressionist masterpiece, Machinal. Machinal is directed by Brenna Geffers, whose most recent work with EgoPo includes Eugene O'Neill's The Hairy Ape, and Henrik Ibsen's Lady from the Sea and A Doll's House. EgoPo Classic Theater rounds out their season of influential female American playwrights with another extraordinary woman: Sophie Treadwell. A prolific writer, producer, director, and actor, Treadwell was also involved in the suffragette movement, and advocated for sexual independence, birth control rights, and increased sexual freedom for women. She was also the only American female war correspondent in WWI. Machinal is considered one of the highpoints of American Expressionist theater. Previews April 20-21 and opening Friday, March 22. The show runs three weeks, closing on Sunday, May 8. Tickets start at $25. Performances are at the Latvian Society of Philadelphia on 7th and Spring Garden.

American Giants II: The Women

EgoPo carries on their tradition of producing annual themed festival seasons. This year, they return to the pivotal 1930s, previously explored in last year's American Giants season, to examine the other half of the American Dream. This year, we are featuring four of America's greatest female playwrights: Lillian Hellman (Children's Hour), Clare Boothe Luce (The Women), Sophie Treadwell (Machinal), and Susan Glaspell (Trifles). The American Theater has long marginalized female writers, virtually leaving them out of the traditional canon. Over the course of the 2015-16 season, EgoPo is reconsidering this canon and honoring the legacy of these playwriting giants.

Machinal

The last of EgoPo's American Giants II Festival is Sophie Treadwell's expressionist masterpiece, Machinal. The 1928 premiere of this remarkable drama permanently transformed theater in our country. Inspired by the real life of convicted and executed murderer Ruth Snyder, this play takes a stunningly dark journey inside the female psyche. Director Brenna Geffers has directed locally for Theatre Exile, Flashpoint Theatre, and Philadelphia Opera Collective, along with her many EgoPo credits. Geffers brings her distinctive vision and physical style to this haunting play that Ben Brantley of the New York Times calls "a rare and disturbing beauty."

Design

For this first time, EgoPo will be utilizing a Production Designer to oversee the aesthetic for the entire show. Production Design has become popular in contemporary theater in Europe as well as in U.S. film to help create a holistic design that is deeply influenced by a strong directorial vision. Barrymore award-winner Thom Weaver will take the reins, overseeing set, lights, sound, costumes, and props with a team of associates. Weaver, who has his MFA from Yale and BFA from Carnegie Mellon, designs lights regularly for the Wilma as well as throughout the country at top regional theaters. He has previously designed sets for EgoPo's The Women and Hairy Ape.

The Cast

Machinal features Philadelphia favorite Mary Tuomanen (Arden, InterAct, Azuka, Orbiter 3) as the Young Woman. She is joined by EgoPo regulars Ross Beschler (Lady from the Sea, Golem, Hell, Waiting for Godot), Steve Wright (Hairy Ape, Death of a Salesman, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Marat/Sade) Lee Minora (The Women, Hairy Ape, Houdini), and Colleen Corcoran (Hairy Ape, Lady from the Sea), as well as new favorites Chris Anthony (Hairy Ape) and Carlo Campbell (Hairy Ape). Shamus Hunter McCarty and Kirsten Kunkle make their EgoPo mainstage debuts.

Production Design by EgoPo veteran Thom Weaver (The Women, Hairy Ape).

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