Doctor Rue Voynich and her apprentice Fade travel the American Heartland dispensing herbal medications. Covertly, they perform abortions, which have been illegal since the days of the first woman president, Ivanka Trump. Fade tries to help local youth Hannah complete her abortion, using knowledge from an ancient manuscript, before her mother and the sheriff can nail them for the “attempted murder of an unborn person.”
This post-Roe v. Wade play about mothers and daughters is poetic, sexy, vulgar, queer, and a little too real.
This post-Roe v. Wade play about mothers and daughters is poetic, sexy, vulgar, queer, and a little too real.
PRODUCTION HISTORY
Photos courtesy of Meilan Steimle.
The first student production of this play happened at Stanford University under the auspices of “Stanford [wit]: a gender conscious theater company.” It opened on May 3rd, 2018. It was directed by Claire Lamadrid and produced by Francesca Watkins.
The cast was as follows:
Rue: Lili Lim
Fade: Lexi Stein
Hannah: Eve La Puma
Jess: Abla Ghaleb
Harrison: Victoria Yang
The staff was as follows:
Executive Producer: Leah Slang
Production Stage Manager: Claire Breger-Belsky
Rehearsal Stage Manager: Charlie O’Donohue
Set & Lighting Designer: Tyler Miller
Sound Designer: Jamie Tippet
Costume Designer: Regan Lavin
The cast was as follows:
Rue: Lili Lim
Fade: Lexi Stein
Hannah: Eve La Puma
Jess: Abla Ghaleb
Harrison: Victoria Yang
The staff was as follows:
Executive Producer: Leah Slang
Production Stage Manager: Claire Breger-Belsky
Rehearsal Stage Manager: Charlie O’Donohue
Set & Lighting Designer: Tyler Miller
Sound Designer: Jamie Tippet
Costume Designer: Regan Lavin
Photos courtesy of David Mason.
The first workshop reading of this play happened at Rhodes College in Memphis, TN, opening on April 12th, 2018. It was directed by Molly Mulhern and stage managed by Anna Koonce.
The cast was as follows:
Rue: Deya Pajarillo
Fade: Clare Edgar
Hannah: Swaneet Mand
Jess: Sky Cochrane
Harrison: Olivia Fox
Stage Directions: Roland Donnelly Bullington
The cast was as follows:
Rue: Deya Pajarillo
Fade: Clare Edgar
Hannah: Swaneet Mand
Jess: Sky Cochrane
Harrison: Olivia Fox
Stage Directions: Roland Donnelly Bullington
CHARACTERS
RUE, AN HERBALIST
Rue is a middle-aged trans woman who performs illegal abortions in secret. She’s not unkind, but she’s a shrewd businesswoman who is pragmatic to a fault. (“VoyniCH,” not “VoyniCK”)
FADE, AN APPRENTICE
Fade is a mouthy teenager and Rue’s apprentice, too naïve for her own good. Her heart speaks more loudly than her head. A gay disaster.
HANNAH, A YOUNG WOMAN SEEKING AN ABORTION
Hannah is a pregnant young woman who is naturally clever and quite uneducated. She’s persuasive, persistent, and impatient.
JESS, A MOTHER
Jess, Hannah’s mother, never really learned how to understand herself as an independent human with agency rather than as an extension of “the family.” She’s protective, anxious, and image-conscious.
HARRISON, AN OFFICER OF THE LAW
The local sheriff, Harrison, is the kind of woman who believes that abortion is murder and poor people should get better jobs. She enjoys her power without understanding what it does to people she cares about.
Rue is a middle-aged trans woman who performs illegal abortions in secret. She’s not unkind, but she’s a shrewd businesswoman who is pragmatic to a fault. (“VoyniCH,” not “VoyniCK”)
FADE, AN APPRENTICE
Fade is a mouthy teenager and Rue’s apprentice, too naïve for her own good. Her heart speaks more loudly than her head. A gay disaster.
HANNAH, A YOUNG WOMAN SEEKING AN ABORTION
Hannah is a pregnant young woman who is naturally clever and quite uneducated. She’s persuasive, persistent, and impatient.
JESS, A MOTHER
Jess, Hannah’s mother, never really learned how to understand herself as an independent human with agency rather than as an extension of “the family.” She’s protective, anxious, and image-conscious.
HARRISON, AN OFFICER OF THE LAW
The local sheriff, Harrison, is the kind of woman who believes that abortion is murder and poor people should get better jobs. She enjoys her power without understanding what it does to people she cares about.
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