The University of Texas at Arlington's Department of Theatre Arts and Dance presents "Bonnets: (How Ladies of Good Breeding are Induced to Murder)," the 2019 play by leading American playwright Jen Silverman.
The show runs for six performances from April 10-13 at 7:30 p.m., with matinee performances on April 13 and 14 at 2 p.m. It is directed by Stage West Associate Producer Garret Storms, with designs by UTA faculty Phillip Schroeder, Jared Land and Laurie Land.
God is a character in Silverman's satirical and angry comedy, asking the play's central question: Why are well-adjusted and mild-mannered ladies driven to murder? The play examines three cases: one in colonial-era America involving an axe to the head, one in pre-Revolutionary France involving poison and one in Victorian England involving an aggressively wielded broom.
Time and space bend and blend the centuries, continents and storylines together; a warping that is aided by the tenacious onstage ensemble "The Bonnets," a feminist collective that believes that rage and violence are a fitting response to the circumstances of young ladies in the world.
"This play is a wild ride," Storms said. "It gifts us with laughter and surprise as we wrestle with some of the sublime quandaries of existing as a woman in our world. It's also a highly theatrical play, which is my favorite kind. It's not often that we encounter a space that is solely and confrontationally feminine. In this production, we are taking that space—gloriously, ferociously, and unapologetically. It's absolutely thrilling!"
Junior acting major Florence Pierce agrees.
"I have found the writing of Jen Silverman to allow such freedom in my expression of femininity," she said. "'Bonnets' has been fulfilling, surprising and thoroughly exciting."
Tickets are $16 for the general public and $12 for students, seniors, and UTA faculty and staff. For tickets visit https://utatickets.com/
This play deals frankly with violence and sexual themes and includes adult language. It is recommended for audiences 16 and older.
The Department of Theatre Arts and Dance in the College of Liberal Arts at UTA provides comprehensive undergraduate education through theory, research and practice in the performing arts, theatrical design and dance. Theatre Arts and Dance's educational environment is characterized by shared values, unity of purpose, diversity of opinion, mutual respect and a commitment to lifelong learning.
