undone:
the lady m project
A NEW PLAY THAT PUTS THE QUEEN ON TRIAL.
Conceived by Anne Penner & Mare Trevathan
Written by Hadley Kamminga-Peck, Anne Penner & Mare Trevathan
Directed by Mare Trevathan
A high court convenes in purgatory to judge the actions of Shakespeare’s enigmatic Lady Macbeth*. Hear the defense and prosecution’s arguments–searing, stirring, and uproarious–as the queen’s fate is determined. Is Lady M a power-hungry manipulator who forced her husband to murder? Or is she driven by loyalty, protectiveness, and love? How much blame lies on her shoulders? We, the audience, serve as the jury in this irreverent (and often funny) interrogation of Lady M and our perceptions of her.
DIRECTOR’S NOTE
There’s much debate about Shakespeare’s depiction of women. Whether you believe he was a feminist, misogynist, neither, or simply don’t care, the math certainly tells us women were less important than men in Shakespeare’s plays.
Rosalind in “As You Like It” is Shakespeare’s female character with the most lines. In front of her are fourteen male characters.
In Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”, Lady Macbeth speaks 1901 words. Macbeth has 5303 to tell his side of things.
Though Lady Macbeth is infamous, in the original play, she isn’t even given a name, referred to as only Lady or Queen. (Historically, her name was Gruoch.)
In “UNDONE”, we attempt to pass the mic. Here servants have names, witches have backstories, and one of the most vilified women of “the canon” is given a chance to tell her side of things. Here, we ask you to see her as something more than a historical figure or a villainous Shakespearean icon.
No one is all good or all bad. We’re all complex, all flawed. We’re all messy, all contradictory, and all full of potential.
At the heart of “UNDONE” is the idea that stories matter, that whose story is told matters, and that who tells the stories matters.
We’d love to hear YOUR side of things, too. Please do reach out to Local Theater Company with your thoughts!
Your friends,
Mare Trevathan and Hadley Kamminga-Peck
MEET THE CAST AND PRODUCTION STAFF
*Appearing through an Agreement between Local Theater Company and Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
COME TOGETHER EVENTS
PRE SHOW EVENT: Inside the Mind of Lady M: An Introduction to Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth
Thursday, March 16, 2023 | 6:45pm MT
The Savoy, Denver
Tickets: No ticket required; just show up. A ticket is required to attend the performance of UNDONE.
Get the inside scoop on Lady M, including the historical, cultural, and creative perspectives on the character and what inspired the authors of Undone. A pre show conversation presented in collaboration with the Colorado Shakespeare Festival by UNDONE co-playwright and Shakespearean scholar Hadley Kamminga-Peck and celebrated dramaturg, Shakespeare scholar, and Local Theater Company Associate Artist Heidi Schmidt.
COMMUNITY MEAL
Sunday, March 19, 2023
The Savoy, Denver
Tickets: No ticket required; just show up. A ticket is required to attend the performance of UNDONE.
Join us for a community meal and post-show conversation following UNDONE: The Lady M Project, presented as part of the COME TOGETHER series, moderated by Betty Hart, Co-Artistic Director.
POST SHOW CONVERSATION
Friday, March 24, 2023
The Savoy, Denver
Tickets: No ticket required; just show up. A ticket is required to attend the performance of UNDONE.
Join us for a post-show conversation following UNDONE: The Lady M Project moderated by Betty Hart, Co-Artistic Director.
INSIDE THE REHEARSAL ROOM
Additional Resources
There’s much debate about Shakespeare’s depiction of women. Whether you believe he was a feminist, misogynist, neither, or simply don’t care, the math certainly tells us women were less important than men in Shakespeare’s plays.