MARY’S MONSTER
Written and performed by Maggie Lou Rader
September 14-23, 2018
The dead can come back to us.
But they don’t always come back nice.
On a dark night near the end of her life, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley wrestles with ghosts: her dead children, her family, her famous husband Percy, her mother, and Frankenstein, her most famous creation. Death has loomed over her entire life, and now, shovel in hand, she will make peace with it, one way or another.
Exploring the complicated biography of the woman who redefined horror, this new play written by and starring Maggie Lou Rader (Marian, Pulp, Silent Sky, Hearts Like Fists, and Know’s Education Director) takes the stage for 8 performances only from September 14-23, 2018.
Taking the helm as director is acclaimed local actor and director Jen Joplin. Know’s Producing Artistic Director, Andrew Hungerford, takes on scenic, lighting, and sound design duties, with costumes by Know’s Resident Costume Designer, Noelle Wedig Johnston.
Says Andrew,
One of my favorite things is shepherding new work from page to stage. At the Know we’re a pretty nimble organization and can get the ball rolling quickly. It’s thrilling to be able to take a work from conception to audiences in just a few short months, and it’s our fantastic group of artistic collaborators that make it possible.
Why a play about Mary Shelley, and why now? Here’s what writer and performer Maggie Lou Rader has to say,
This is a woman who wrote the first Science Fiction novel, and, for me, epitomizes the Gothic Horror genre. Without Mary Shelley, how many of our favorite stories and fandoms simply wouldn’t exist? And yet, she was forced to fight for authorship of her most famous work her entire life, not for the fame, but simply for the funds to provide for her son. It would be fabulous to say we’ve grown, changed, learned from the sexism of our past. We haven’t. We refuse to be allocated to the romance section, because there’s more to our narrative than serving as a love interest, and our stories don’t end at marriage.
A woman invented contemporary Science Fiction. A woman epitomized the genre of Gothic Horror. History and pop culture bastardized her creation. This is me giving them back to her, because, it’s Mary Shelley’s turn.
So grab a shovel, and let’s see what we can dig up this September in Mary’s Monster.
Cast
Maggie Lou Rader* as Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States, appearing under a Special Appearance Contract.
Production Team
- Director – Jen Joplin
- Scenic, Lighting, & Sound Design – Andrew J. Hungerford
- Costume Design – Noelle Wedig Johnston
Season Design sponsorship provided by Travis McElroy
Calendar Listing
MARY’S MONSTER by Maggie Lou Rader
- 8:00 pm September 14, 15, 19, 20, 21, 22
- 3:00 pm September 16 & 23
Know Theatre of Cincinnati. 1120 Jackson Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. In historic Over-the-Rhine.
Tickets
- $15 regular price tickets
- $25 “Living Wage” tickets, supporting working artists in Cincinnati
- FREE walk-up tickets are available on Wednesdays, as part of Know’s Welcome Experiment.
- Advance reservations to Welcome Experiment performances are $5.00.
Tickets can be purchased by visiting knowtheatre.com or calling 513.300.5669 (KNOW).
Know Theatre is Cincinnati’s Theatrical Playground. The Know showcases unexpected voices, new works, and plays that embrace the inherent theatricality of the live experience. Know Theatre seeks to be a place where artists and audiences feel welcome to take artistic risks, creating work that is cutting edge and accessible.
Know Theatre’s work is made possible, in part, by the generosity of community contributions to the ArtsWave Campaign.
The Ohio Arts Council helps fund Know Theatre with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.
Know Theatre is also supported by The Carol Ann & Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation, helping to change our communities for the better through collaboration and innovation, and the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, which provides a simple, powerful, and highly personal approach to giving.
Know Theatre is a member of Theatre Communications Group and an Associate Member of the National New Play Network.
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