Mistress, Maiden, Monster: A Modern Masque
In this performance, we present the stories of three different female characters, from plays by Shakespeare; Desdemona (Othello), Kate (Taming of the Shrew), and Viola (Twelfth Night). Through these women, we pose questions about what their stories tell us about how women were viewed in Shakespeare’s time, and what this means to us when we see them today. What do Shakespeare’s stories tell us about how women are viewed in today’s society? Is what they say uncomfortable? Resonant? Relevant? We hope to create a dialogue with our audience and challenge them to think about how they view women. This performance is a modern reinvention of a masque, a quintessentially English form of court entertainment containing storytelling, music, and acting.