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‘Ada and The Engine’ Doesn’t Get Where It’s Going

Ada and The Engine by Lauren Gunderson retells the life of feminist hero Ada Lovelace, often called the first computer programmer, as a romance. The play weaves a love story between Lovelace, played by Brooklyn Hébert, and Charles Babbage (Rich Holton) who invented two hypothetical machines capable of taking commands to solve mathematical problems as computers do now. It also explores how Ada may have been haunted by the life her father Lord Byron (John LaFlamboy) lived, especially how his absence and philandering affected her relationship with her mother. Continue reading “‘Ada and The Engine’ Doesn’t Get Where It’s Going”

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‘The Revolutionists’ is A Rush of Hope for Femmes Who Fight

The Revolutionists by Lauren Gunderson directed by Denise Yvette Serna is a necessary reflection on the role of femmes creating potent social change. In 2016, Donald J. Trump was elected President , becoming one of the most powerful men in the world. Of those who voted, 53% of white women backed Donald J. Trump over Hillary Clinton, preferring to advance a conservative agenda despite Trump’s well-documented history of violence against women, lack of political experience, and overall vile behavior. Since the election, many have been trying to dissect and understand just what happened in the 2016 election. The most effective analyses point a finger at the insidious nature of white supremacy, capitalism, and patriarchy as they manifest in the American oligarchic democratic experiment. Within this context, The Revolutionists  play deftly points at the ways in which #whitefeminism continues to miss the mark, and it offers all femmes a hefty dose of hope and encouragement to continue fighting systems of oppression. Continue reading “‘The Revolutionists’ is A Rush of Hope for Femmes Who Fight”

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Northlight Theatre’s Artistic Director Statement on ‘Book of Will’

The following is a response and public statement from Artistic Director of Northlight Theatre, BJ Jones. There have been concerns shared from the artistic community on the composition of the cast, see local casting director Lavina Jadhwani’s editorial here. Rescripted encourages artists to respond to discussion generated by our website, in the hopes of facilitating a more open dialogue between institutions and artists. As noted below, the conversation will continue with a panel in late January co-hosted by Jessica Thebus and Aaron Todd Douglas. Continue reading “Northlight Theatre’s Artistic Director Statement on ‘Book of Will’”

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‘Book of Will’ Fails to Diversify The Bard

By Lavina Jadhwani

“Casting should be diverse. Shakespeare is meant for everyone.”

This simple statement, written atop the casting breakdown of Lauren Gunderson’s new play, THE BOOK OF WILL at Northlight Theatre, filled me with so much hope.

I am a woman of color who regularly directs Shakespeare and regularly encounters pushback when trying to convince producers and audiences that the words people often assume were written primarily for white, cis, able-bodied men can be shared by, well, everyone. That’s why I was so moved by Gunderson’s sentiment and so excited by the casting announcements made by the Denver Center and Oregon Shakespeare Festival regarding this play. (The world premiere in Denver included two South Asian actors — my desi heart soared!!) My heart sank, however, when I saw the casting announcement of a local company, Northlight Theatre, which included an all white cast and production team. Nevertheless, I attended the production in hopes of learning something new about this play and the world of William Shakespeare. I wanted to keep an open mind. And honestly — I wanted to support my friends. Continue reading “‘Book of Will’ Fails to Diversify The Bard”