Did you know that there were/are at least five one woman shows on BROADWAY/OFF-BROADWAY this spring! Why hasn't this been discovery been on the cover of NYTIMES! Viva la feminity in the 21st century theatre. Granted, I don't know how much commerical appeal these ladies have, they sure do have the ability to give some tour de force performances! (I can only speak for Benko and Shaw. Hopefully deals will pop up to be able to review all of these shows!)
Tina Benko in Jackie at the Women's Theatre Project (unfortunately closed March 31st)
Kathryn Hunter in Kafka's Monkey at Baryshnikov Arts Center (short run April 3rd-17th)
Fiona Shaw in Testament of Mary at the Walter Kerr Theater (Now until June 16th)
Bette Midler in I'll Eat You Last at the Booth Theater (Opens April 24th until June 30th)
Holland Taylor in ANN at the Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater (Now until September 1st)
Quick Synopsis:
Jackie is based on the life of Jackie Kennedy Onassis. Kafka's Monkey is an adaptation of Franz Kafka's 1917 story, "A Report to an Academy," an allegory of Jewish assimilation. The Testament of Mary follows Mary's relationship with Jesus (kind of). ANN is a portrait of Ann Richards, the legendary former governor of Texas. I'll Eat You Last is an inside view into the life of casting agent/business manager Sue Mengers. What do all these women have in common?
The common thread is that these women have been SENTENCED TO A LIFE OF PERFORMING.
In Jackie's case, she has to uphold the perfect wife, First Lady image. Through her use of cocaine and feigned smile, she masks her loathing of Kennedy's affair with Monroe. Tina Benko, who plays Jackie, did an amazing job with the slam poetry style of writing. She contorts her body into awkward positions, through the infamous Jackie white glove wave to the wide-eyed cheeky smile, you can tell that 'Jackie' is performing for the American people.
In Franz Kafka's case, we see a woman dressed up in a suit going from ape-like characteristics to becoming a 'human'. I believe that Baryshnikov Arts Center description sums it up: "This resourceful ape is as desperate and determined as a Beckett tramp, longing for home and freedom yet settling for the dubious comforts and pseudo-freedom of the theater."
In Mary's case, her son is following a path she doesn't deem appropriate. Frustrated by the attention from his followers, Mary tries to avoid the limelight. This is further exemplified by Mary's final declaration to the audience, on her Jesus's death and life, "It was not worth it." She too had to perform her exaltation for a son she wanted to be just normal.
In Sue Menger's case, she performs her way to the top of the theatre and film business. She became the talk of the town, using crude language and brash comments to get the best performers to sign with her.
In Ann Richards case, she defies what a typical Governor from Texas should be, by being a Democrat and a Feminist. Held up in a critical public eye, she charms her confederate citizens to vote her into the executive branch of the state government.
In conclusion, these strong-willed, powerful women prove that sometimes we have to perform our way to the top, or sometimes we don't want to be at the top (in the case for Mary) but we wear our masks in order to show devotion to what the public wants: A nuclear American family, A savior, An 'ideal human,' A gossiper and A fighter. I'm proud to be a female artist apart of the Millennial Generation, if we already have 5 one woman shows now, think of what our future holds...
Shout-outs: Not quite solo, but should be highly considered:
Tina Paker in Women of Will and Ruthie Ann Miles in Here Lies Love though they are not "one woman shows" they lean in that direction. Will examines Shakespeare's female characters. Love follows the riseand fall of Filipina First Lady Imelda Marcos, in a dance club setting!
*** One man shows currently on Broadway: Alan Cumming in Macbeth and Nathan Lane in The Nance
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