This month's two plays: The Guitarrón by Lynne Alvarez & The Girls from the Five and Ten (Les filles du 5-10-15) by Abla Farhoud

If you’re looking for the hot queer drama and dreamy magical realism of Angels in America set against the beaches of Veracruz… look no further than The Guitarrón by Lynne Alvarez. During a cataclysmic fishing drought, six members of the local village fight to find their way out. Underscored by a mysterious cellist with a mesmerizing instrument, in this play each member of the community tries to save the ones they love while navigating the transactional nature of their own relationships. A story about the drought in our souls when the cruelty of reality keeps us from the seas of our dreams, The Guitarrón would be a fabulous addition to any season.

If you’re looking for the darkly vulnerable drama of Suburbia told through the lens of two sisters… The Girls from the Five and Ten gets to the heart of what it means to be overlooked as an immigrant in a new country. Trapped in their father’s variety shop with never-ending work and rude customers, Sisters Amira and Kaokab sacrifice their personal lives in the hopes of someday selling the store and returning to Lebanon. But as their escape seems further and further away each day, the two must decide whether their dream of going home is actually worth the cost. Defiance, sisterhood, rebellion, and oppression are all at the forefront of Farhoud’s heartbreakingly tender sister story.

Hosted by Skye Pagon and Kalina Ko

This month's two shorter plays: The Inheritance by Kim Ja-Rim 김자림 and Rain of Ice by Hasegawa Shigure

If you’re looking for the character-driven naturalism of Strindberg through the lens of intersectional poverty… consider this one-act drama from the mother of Japanese realism. In her final hours, the terminally ill Tamayo wrestles with delusions of the past as well as anxieties of the present. A former sex worker, she now contends with the role transactionality has played (or not played) in her relationships, interrogating her friends’ true loyalties and fearing for her own daughter’s naivete. Through heartfelt prose and raw, naturalistic dialogue, Hasegawa Shigure digs into the grim realities facing impoverished women, telling an intersectional story of depth and intimacy.

If you’re looking for the character-driven naturalism of Strindberg through the lens of intersectional poverty… consider Rain of Ice from the mother of Japanese realism. In her final hours, the terminally ill Tamayo wrestles with delusions of the past as well as anxieties of the present. A former sex worker, she now contends with the role transactionality has played (or not played) in her relationships, interrogating her friends’ true loyalties and fearing for her own daughter’s naivete. Through heartfelt prose and raw, naturalistic dialogue, Hasegawa Shigure digs into the grim realities facing impoverished women, telling an intersectional story of depth and intimacy.

Hosted by Kalina Ko and Gagarin

This month's two shorter plays: Pleasure by Rachilde and Three Women by Sylvia Plath!

If you’re looking for a play that reveals how the pursuit of sensuality can both liberate and ensnare… then Rachilde’s Pleasure is the two-hander of your dreams. An intimate, delicate, and emotionally charged conversation between two young lovers, Pleasure offers feminist undertones with a dangerous and erotic edge. The play’s themes of sexual politics, youthful desire, and the consequences of indulgence are as timely today as they were in its origins in the Belle Époque. Fans of Sarah Kane, Sam Shepard, and Edith Wharton alike will delight in its dark twists and lush poetry, making this a standout choice for a contemporary or a classical season.

If you’re looking for an achingly lyrical play probing the complex beauty and pain of pregnancy… consider this dramatic poem that brings Sylvia Plath’s raw emotionality to the stage. Interweaving three contrasting perspectives, this piece wrestles with childbirth, loss, and motherhood as perceived by a trio of women. One welcomes a wished-for and beloved child; another comes to terms with a miscarriage; the third gives her child up for adoption following the trauma of sexual assault. The resulting chorus paints a sharp and unflinching portrait of having, or losing, a child. Three Women is a daring piece to engage a community in conversation around the choices and agency of reproductive rights arcing towards glimmers of hope and healing.

Hosted by Skye Pagon and Emily Lyon