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The Female of the Species – A Staged Reading
November 24, 2023 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Directed by Sylvia Swift
One night only – Friday, November 24 at 7:00pm
Presented at the Sands Funeral Chapel Reception Centre – Entrance is on Ypres St.
Admission by donation to the Mercury Players
Thirty years ago Margot Mason, pioneer of the 1970s Women’s Liberation movement and fearless academic, wrote her groundbreaking work and numerous best-sellers followed. Now she has writer’s block. Molly, an unannounced visitor and committed fan of Margot and her work, offers a potential solution – until Molly produces a gun and calmly informs Margot that she intends to kill her because she blames her for warping her mother’s mind and ruining her life with her hit book The Cerebral Vagina.
Joanna Murray-Smith’s deliciously wicked comedy deftly walks the tightrope between satire and farce proving the female of the species is not only deadlier, but funnier than the male.
This latest gem from the pen of one of Australia’s most outstanding playwrights was inspired by Germaine Greer’s experience of being held captive in her country house in Essex in 2000.
MARGOT MASON – sixtyish, impressive, a monster
MOLLY RIVERS – early twenties, bright
TESS THORNTON – late thirties, lost
BRYAN THORNTON –late thirties but very boyish and thick
FRANK – masculine man in his early thirties.
THEO REYNOLDS – sixties, dapper
What is a staged reading?
A staged reading is theatre in its purest form. No set, no props, no (or little) costumes. The lights will not turn on and off. Actors interact and perform the story with scripts in front of them. Some stage directions will be read to help set the scene. The closest approximation would be listening to an audiobook that is all dialogue, or watching a radio play (with no sound effects). If you have ever seen video of the voice acting being recorded for your favorite animated film, it is akin to that.
Why perform a staged reading instead of a full production?
There are more stories to tell than any theatre could conceivably produce and each one has a cost associated with it. Staged readings allow audience members to experience more great stories at a lower cost to the theatre and the patron. Win-win!
