Pygmalion Theatre Company To Open 2022/2023 Season World Premiere MOTHER, MOTHER: THE MANY MOTHERS OF MAUD

Pygmalion Theatre Company will open its 2022/2023 season with the world premiere of "Mother, Mother: The Many Mothers of Maud" by Julie Jensen, directed by Fran Pruyn, from Nov. 4 to Nov. 19 at the Rose Wagner Center for Performing Arts located at 138 West Broadway in downtown Salt Lake City.

The show features Colleen Baum, Nicole Finney, Tamara Howell, Barb Gandy, and Darryl Stamp.

Annie Adams, born in Utah and a favorite of Brigham Young, is driven by ambition to pursue a career on the stage. She plays mining camps in the west and tawdry theatres throughout the country until she finally arrives in New York City, where it is her daughter, Maude Adams, who becomes the most celebrated actress in America, if not the world. This is a play about dreams and disappointments, a story of what happens when reality collides with desire. It is also a play that rejoices in the humor and absurdity of the theater itself.

Director Pruyn explained how the show came about.

"'Mother, Mother' has long been in the conception-to-delivery stage," she said. "Back during the height of COVID we did a scene from the show as part of a digital montage of women's stories inspired by women who are on the Utah Women mural by Jann Haworth. The scene was delightful and encouraged me to find out more about the entire show that Julie Jensen was hatching. I read it, and we did a reading and I worked with her -- well -- she worked and I read the script aloud to her and she made changes and we did another reading, and maybe one more. It is perfect for Pygmalion because a) it is about Utah women artists, and Utah history, b) it tells an interesting story with iambic, quasi-formal verse of the 19th Century Theatre. It is clever, and intriguing, and sometimes a bit sad that you never quite get what you want, but somebody else gets it and it isn't what they want."

She added: "Annie Adams was brave and unconventional and truly passionate about her art. Maude Adams was gifted, and beautiful, and very unconventional -- and as Julie says, 'Most of what happens in this play happened in fact. The rest of it could have.'"

Jensen said: "I have always been interested in the story of Maude Adams, because she was the most famous actress in19th century America, and she came from Utah! But in fact, her story is less interesting than that of her mother. Annie Adams was also an actress who worked hard all her life to gain the notoriety of her daughter but never succeeded. Maude was famous at age five and remained so. Nothing was hard for her. Everything was hard for Annie, and many things were impossible. The nature of theater is the struggle and, and so I guess you can see why I chose to write about Annie."

She added that she has been writing the show for the past five years. "Some of the research yielded such weirdly interesting details that I was stymied," she said. "I have written many versions and many more scenes than those I've included. Finally however, I decided to deal with Annie's whole life, and that was very difficult indeed. But I must also say that her life was endlessly interesting, very challenging, and always compelling. Obviously, I hope the play is also."

Baum, who plays Annie Adams, spoke about why she wanted to be in the show. "Because Annie's story is the fascinating one," she said. "She was raised in such a patriarchal society and yet she refused to be anyone other than an ambitious actress, refusing to be held back by what polygamy and Mormonism expected of her. The language in this play is also beautiful and liberating. Annie has such boldness in her speech, she never gives up on herself."

Gandy, who plays Julia, said: "To be cast in a play written by Julie Jensen is an honor, and that the play is a world premiere heightens that honor even more. The play is crafted so beautifully, and the characters are fascinating."

Stamp, who plays the men in the show, added: "Julie Jensen has been one of two influential mentors to me in the SLC community as a writer, and I'm grateful for the insight and support she has provided me with as I continue to learn to be a playwright. And I'm honored to take part in her latest play as an actor. It's the best of both worlds."

He added: "I'm excited for the opportunity and the challenge of portraying all six male characters in this historical look at the lives of Annie and Maude Adams. I've played two different characters in several plays, and this will be as exciting as it will be daunting."

Baum also spoke about who should see the show. "I think everyone will enjoy it but especially those familiar with Maude Adams, Mormonism, polygamy, theatre and a woman's plight," she said. Gandy added: "Everyone who loves theatre, loves theatre traditions and Utah history, and who are interested in learning more about incredible women from Utah -- Annie Adams, Maude Adams, Martha Hughes Cannon -- who made huge, non-traditional strides in the early 1900s and beyond."

And Stamp said: "The play touches on patriarchy, gender, family, the world of theatre in the 19th century, and the lives of these remarkable and influential women. Audiences should see this play because of the talented cast, directed by Fran Pruyn, Pygmalion theatre's production team, and because Julie Jensen is a 'Jewel in the diadem' (I had to borrow a phrase from the play) of SLC's most notable writers and educators. It's a play I believe should be seen when it opens in November, and I hope it will also be produced in communities outside of the state of Utah."

Jensen also touched on why she sets many of her plays in Utah, as well as lives here. "I am interested in Utah because I grew up here," she said. "It's method of settlement by white people, it's dominant religion, it's interest in its on history make unique material for drama. When I was a much younger writer, there were dozens of plays set in the south, in New York, and even some in the midwest. But there were very few if any set in the west and none in Utah. I wondered why. It was there and then that I decided to set the record straight. And I've done my best."

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