This photo is from the blackbox production of The Insanity of Mary Girard that I had the opportunity to direct. The play, written by Lanie Robertson, is based on the true story of Mary Girard, a woman living in 1760s Philadelphia, who is sentenced to spend her life in an insane asylum. Ultimately, I chose to produce this piece because of how it explored important topics such as women’s rights, marriage, motherhood, and mental health through the lens of a woman in the eighteenth-century.

One my favorite aspects of the piece was its highly theatrical components. For example, throughout the time Mary spends in the asylum, the ‘furies,’ transform into people from Mary’s past, show her visions, and uncover hidden motives of people she once trusted. Since the venue was a close proximity blackbox, I chose to make the piece more immersive by having the furies dancing and moving throughout the isles of the audience. Exploring movement for each fury was one of my most favorite experiences as a director because it was a collaborative discovery process between me and the actors. The more we rehearsed, the more the actors experimented, discovered, and chose to include their own unique qualities and skill sets in how their character danced, walked, crawled, or chose to be within the space. Including these details made each rehearsal so much fun and took the performance to a new level.

Above all, I am most proud of the tight-knit community that this show created and everyone’s incredible dedication to ‘jumping right in’ and experimenting on a short rehearsal timeline. I cannot say enough great things about my wonderful cast and crew.