The Moors Offers Dark Comedy Commentary on Gothic Romance
The Bridge Initiative is in residence this spring at Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC), the continuation of a professional/educational theatre partnership. The collaboration launched last year with Elaine Romero’s Like Heaven and a $2,000 scholarship for EMCC student Andrea Obregon. This year, Director Elizabeth Brownlee helms The Moors by Jen Silverman coming to the EMCC Performing Arts Center May 3-12.
The Moors is a subversive take on 19th-century Gothic romance in a dark comedy about love, desperation, and visibility inspired by the letters of Charlotte Brontë. It depicts two sisters and a dog living out their lives on the bleak English moors until the arrival of a hapless governess and a moor-hen set them on a strange and dangerous path. Contemporary Queer playwright Jen Silverman has brilliantly crafted characters who each contend with desire, fear, and transformation. “Directing this piece is like a choose-your-own-adventure book or a puzzle movie, the layers of clues and insights left to interpretation are vast,” says Brownlee. “I am lucky to be working with an extraordinarily talented and completely collaborative team and cast, which I can truly say is a first and oh, so much fun!!”
The full creative lineup includes Designers Tiana Torrilhon-Wood, Autumn Ford, Diana Bongiovanni. Jessica Baker, and Dawn Conry; Stage Manager Justus Popken; Intimacy Coordinator Maren Maclean Mascarelli, and Actors Christi Sweeney, Libby Mueller, Avery Volk, Shannon Phelps, Brady Anderson, Alexa Marie with Understudies Anastasia Serednyj, Alexa Marie. Student Actors Marie and Serednyj as well as EMCC students working in technical roles are receiving the invaluable experience of engaging in a professional process with artists who work across the Valley with established organizations like The Phoenix Theatre Company, Southwest Shakespeare Company, Stray Cat Theatre, and more.
The Bridge Initiative was founded in 2015 with a focus on gender parity and female leadership. Though the arts disproportionately attract female students and patrons, executive leadership, decision-makers, and creative teams locally and nationwide are predominantly male. In contrast, Bridge’s leadership and creative teams are majority female. Bridge’s history includes full productions and new play/film festivals, new play workshops and readings, an ongoing cabaret series at ASU Kerr, and more. EMCC Theater’s Program Manager Tim Butterfield initiated the partnership with The Bridge. He envisioned the collaboration as an important opportunity to expose students to industry expectations and rigor while offering crucial production support to an early-stage local company.
The Moors will run May 3-12 at Estrella Mountain Community College Fine Arts Center, 3000 North Dysart Road, Avondale, AZ 85392. Tickets $18-25 plus fees at eventbrite.com. A percentage of ticket sales contribute to a scholarship fund to award a female-identifying student at Estrella Mountain Community College.
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