WIFEY
by Sarah E.
An original, experimental piece that explores the shift from woman to wife in Trump’s America, written and directed by Sarah E. After a run at Dixon Place and Abrons Arts Center (June 2019), WIFEY was also showcased at the Theater for the New City’s 2019 Dream Up Festival (September 2019). Structured as a series of vignettes, this new work blends intimate drama, poetry, experimental movement, and nuanced lighting to tell a story that spans decades. WIFEY underscores the political and personal implications of the title "wife" and examines how this label can both influence and unmoor those of us who wear it. What do we suppress, what are we expected to do, and who must we become? WIFEY reminds us that we cannot adequately advocate on behalf of ourselves - and our daughters - without wholeheartedly listening to and engaging with the female experience. Please note that this production includes nudity and mature themes.
Reviewed in The New York Theatre Wire
Article featured in Bi-Coastal Babble
COLLABORATORS
Producer: Greg Swanson
Assistant Director(s): Natalie Kane
Stage Manager(s): Julie Palumberi, Leslie Gray, Julia Brzezicki
Lighting Designer(s): William Gibbons-Brown
Promotional Material: Joel Chokkattu
Dramaturg: Danny Cassidy
Body paint: Kairi Chapman
Actors: Jessica Soares, Jimena Perea, Jennifer Jackson, Tee Sudderth, Helen Jiexin Cai, Maura Kanter, Richard Vetere, Nora Abayomi, Shiho Matsuoka, Julienne Jones, Ben Ubiñas, John McCullough, John Torres, Sevrin Willinder, Emily Claypoole, John Paul Harkins
Audience feedback, courtesy of Joel Chokkattu:
[Photography by Christiana Rifaat. Pictured from left to right, top to bottom: Jennifer Jackson, John Torres // Jimena Perea // John Torres, Frank Halbiger // Jessica Soares, Frank Halbiger // Sevrin Willinder, Frank Halbiger, Ben Ubiñas, John Torres, John McCullough, Julienne Jones // Sevrin Willinder, Maura Kanter // Shiho Matsuoka]