So, I'll be honest. When I set out to write WITCH, I thought we would have a female president in the office, I voted for her, and I didn't foresee anyone but her taking the office of the Presidency. I figured that there would be some blowback to her, so I wanted to write a piece that featured other mythical women (Baba Yaga, The Black Forest Witch, Elphaba, etc.) to round a bill of fictitious "witches" in a parable to tell a greater story of "Women in Power".
Then Donald Trump won. And with that, EVERYTHING went out the window. I conducted interviews with over 35 women who told me what it was like to be a woman in these current political circumstances. And the play changed.
Soon enough, the #METOO movement started, and the play changed again.
I found that I was writing a current history as herstory was evolving. I found solace in the WITCH theatrical protest movement. I found solace in the women whose stories we tell. I found solace in their likenesses to their modern counterparts who portrayed them.
What we ended up with was a gorgeous mix of intersectional and intergenerational female protest theatre. Is it for everyone? NO. But is it for this era? YES!
As the 8 women of varying ages march out of the space singing "Nevertheless She Persisted", many audience members wanted to join their ranks.
WITCH is a compelling show that highlights the struggle of women as they navigate their way in a man's world. We are in talks with the Salem Witch Museum. I only hope that these women's stories live beyond our first production of this incredibly specific show.
