MEDIA CONTACT:
Peggy Kearns Dean
t: 571.216.5136
e: ScenaMedia@gmail.com
Scena presents Oscar Wilde's Woman of No Importance
with a stellar, all-female cast on November 5 at the Atlas
Washington, DC, Oct 4, 2018 — The Directors of Scena Theatre are thrilled to announce that Woman of No Importance, directed by Robert McNamara, will open Scena's 32nd Season. This production of Oscar Wilde's classic opens on Monday, November 5th at 8pm. Members of the Washington-area Press: please RSVP to ScenaMedia@gmail.com to reserve your seat for Opening Night or another performance.
This drama debuted in London in 1900. Like most of Wilde's dramas, it satirizes the upper class of England—which the playwright does by way of witty repartee and teasing wordplay between men and women. Scena’s take on this battle of the sexes includes an all-female cast. This timeless power struggle between men and women is set against the backdrop of 1930s Hollywood—when Tinsel Town was both American and British. See cads, scoundrels and vixens battle over who’s "in" and who’s “out”. Hilarity abounds in this “He said / She said” feminist take on Wilde’s slightly dark comedy of manners.
Artistic Director Robert McNamara is excited to produce yet another Wilde classic with a gender twist. Many might recall Scena's hit production of The Importance of Being Earnest where male actors played the female roles and female actors played the male roles in 2010 (and the reprise 2015). McNamara says, "I love producing Wilde for modern audiences, especially with a play on gender. We're celebrating strong women, which echoes the feminist revival that we have going on now. Those who enjoyed Nanna (Ingvarsson) and Sara (Barker) in Earnest will truly adore this play."
Press Night / Opening — Monday, Nov 5, 2018 (8:00 pm). Please RSVP to ScenaMedia@gmail.com
Play Run: Nov 5 – Dec 2, 2018 (Thur. – Sat. 8:00 pm; Sun. 3:00 pm)
DARK: Thanksgiving (11/22)
Previews: $15 Fri. & Sat., Nov 2 & 3 (8:00 pm) and Sun. Nov 4 (3:00 pm)
Industry: Mon., Nov 19, 2018 (8:00 pm): $15 for theatre / entertainment pros with ID / credentials
Talkback: Sun., Dec. 2 (after our 3:00 pm matinee). Join us for an illustrated presentation, “Oscar Wilde: The Wit, Works, and Woes”, presented via projector by Christopher Griffin of Galway, Ireland. Chris is a former lecturer in Irish poetry, drama and fiction at Georgetown University. Plus he taught humanities at Strayer University and is a former Smithsonian Journeys expert.
Venue: ATLAS Performing Arts Center (Lab I)
1333 H Street NE, Washington, DC 20002
Press Info: Email: scenamedia@gmail.com
Phone: 571-216-5136
Press Photos: Click on Press link (at left)
Ticket Cost: $15 - $35 at AtlasArts.org or 202.339.7993
Adults: $35 (Thurs & Sun); and $45 (Fri & Sat)
Under 30 / Seniors w/ ID: $25 (Thurs & Sun); and $35 on Fri & Sat
Box Office: Click here for Tickets: atlasarts.org
(OR)
Call 202.399.7993 x2.
Featuring: (ALL-FEMALE CAST): Nanna Ingvarsson, Sara Barker, Jen Bevan, Moriah Whiteman, Karen Elle, Zoe Walpole, Emily Morrison, Melissa Robinson, Ruthie Rado & Dina Soltan.
Designers: Robert McNamara (Director), Anne Nottage (Asst. Director), Hannah Fogler (Stage Manager), Michael C. Stepowany (Set), Alisa Mandel (Costumes), Denise Rose (Sound), Johnathan Alexander (Lighting), Jesse Marciniak (Projections).
Playwright: Oscar Wilde was born in 1854 in Dublin, Ireland. He attended Trinity College and Oxford University where he became an advocate for the aesthetic movement: “art for art’s sake.” Wilde’s most celebrated works include The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Critic as Artist, An Ideal Husband, Lady Windermere’s Fan, and of course his most famous play, The Importance of Being Earnest. Oscar Wilde's flamboyant personality, dress, and rumored homosexuality caused a great stir in puritanical Victorian England. He had tremendous success as a playwright, novelist, poet, and essayist, but his reputation and career were severely marred by his conviction by the crown of “Gross Indecency” in several grueling public trials. Ultimately, Wilde was publicly humiliated and sentenced to jail with hard labor. He fell ill in prison and never recovered. Shortly after his release from prison at age 46, Oscar Wilde died in Paris, destitute and alone.
SCENA Theatre brings the best international theatre to Washington, DC and stimulates cultural exchange between theatre artists, locally and worldwide. Founded in 1987 under the leadership of Artistic Director Robert McNamara and Managing Director Amy Schmidt, SCENA produces an annual season of plays, seasonally staged readings, as well as a Workshop Series aimed at developing new works from around the globe. To learn more about our mission or past stage productions, please click on About in the left menu.
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