ASU's own Original Sin Extended, a Q&A with the feminist play that's making headlines.

the cast of Original Sin
photo by Alex Kline

by Monica Sampson

Emily Adams, a senior in the theater department at ASU was tired of shows and stories about men and inspired by history's most ferocious and famous women. So Adams worked to write, and direct ASU and Binary Theater Company's newest production Original Sin. This feminist work serves as  Adams capstone in the theater program at ASU and gives voices to the historic women of ancient Greece and yesteryear, in monologue form.

After a triumphant run, Original Sin was set to close February 25th, However, after the show oversold three nights in a row, with a desire for more shows as strong as some of the goddesses in the piece Original Sin has extended the shows run.

PHX Stages asked Director and Playwright, Adams some questions before the show's re-opening.

How would you describe the show?
"Original Sin is a new play and poetry collection in which we allow Goddesses to rise from the shadows. Original Sin tells the stories of mythological women, from Eve to Persephone, using the words and monologues of real women, rather than those monolithic voices from which we have come to learn their stories (Homer, Ovid, etc.) We are allowing these women to take their stories back. "

What themes are most present in the piece?
"The theme that is most present in Original Sin is the relationship between hope and loss, and how empowerment is born from the collision of those two. Every voice that we hear in Original Sin has to strike a balance between grieving their losses, and looking on towards the future. "

What should an audience expect from this show?
"A theatrical piece about loving women, and one that is verbally structured in a way that is more similar to poetry than traditional stage plays."

What kind of reaction did the show receive? 
"We were blown away by the success of the first weekend. Every single performance was oversold, even after increasing our capacity by 20 seats. As a result of this demand, we have been extended the opportunity to perform for an additional weekend! We have added performances on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings, all at 7:30 PM in the Prism Space. We anticipate a similarly sized crowd this weekend."

What was the process of making the show?
"I have been working on the script of Original Sin for over three years. It began with a love for mythology, and eventually became a project that sought to empower as many women as possible. I interviewed real women in the valley, to gain an understanding as to the stories which they found most inherent in their lives, and those are the women you will see and hear onstage in Original Sin. Casting was one of the most difficult elements for me, because there are so many powerful actresses, all of which I could have cast. With that being said, I could not be more fortunate to have the cast and crew that I do.  I am proud to say that of everyone involved, over 90% of them are all female or femme-identifying. They are all extraordinary people and immensely talented, and their hard work truly shows in each monologue."

What would you say you learned about powerful women from this show?
" 'They are not afraid. They were born to do this. And they have lived enough to prove it.' One of my favorite lines from Original Sin, and one of the most true. My actresses and our audience all resonate with these stories, and it is partially because, in some capacity, they have lived through the hardships and the celebrations of life that these characters go through."

What do you want the audience to take away from this piece?
I would like for them to leave feeling proud of female/femme resilience! Proud of the magic that rolls off of our tongues! Realizing that they are not the people who have hurt them, and that these stories, when told correctly, are pivotal in the representation of women on stage. These are our stories, and we are taking them back.

Original Sin extended dates will play March 3rd and 4th at 7:30 in the Prism Theater in Tempe

Tickets are $10 and $7 with a canned food item.