THE DOMESTIQUES to Make Los Angeles Premiere at New Theater Hollywood
Aviana Glover and Kayla Dobbs alternate roles nightly in a production directed by Rory James Leech.
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Following its premiere at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, THE DOMESTIQUES makes its Los Angeles debut this fall at New Theater Hollywood, bringing a daring new interpretation of Jean Genet's landmark play The Maids to one of the city's most exciting performance spaces.
Inspired by Genet's 1947 play, THE DOMESTIQUES follows two gender-queer siblings, Clay and Lonny, locked in an endless ritual of roleplay, obsession, and revolt. In the absence of their employer, the pair repeatedly enact elaborate fantasies of power, submission, and murder, blurring the boundaries between performance and reality until identity itself begins to dissolve. Adapted by playwright and performer Venus Cobb, known as the 'ingenue of Las Vegas Theater', Genet's play is reimagined through a trans perspective, revealing new possibilities within the play's enduring questions of identity, performance, and transformation.
At the center of THE DOMESTIQUES are performers Aviana Glover and Kayla Dobbs, who alternate roles each night through a live competition determined by the audience. This playful act places power directly in the hands of the spectators, ensuring that no two performances are the same and transforming Genet's exploration of performance into a living, unpredictable ritual. The show is directed by Rory James Leech.
The creative team includes Associate Director Kayden Merrit, Production Manager Morgan McDonald, Intimacy Coordinator Hailey Mashburn, Fight Choreographer Romy Kim, Dramaturg Constant Gordon, Lighting Designer Emma McManus, Set Designer Rory James Leech, and Stage Manager Maria Jurardo. Custom merch for the show will be sold at the door. Prior to its Edinburgh Premiere, the show was developed in residency at The Elysian and Crawlspace LA. The show is produced by Rory James Leech.
During its run at 2025's Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the show earned multiple five-star reviews, with Eve Miller for Binge Fringe praising the show as "an intelligent, erotic, and devastating examination of power, capitalism, and identity," with "mind-blowing metatheatricality". Lee Hutchison for The Nerd Party described the production as "one of the most exciting pieces of theatre at the Edinburgh Fringe," praised its "electrifying direction," "stunning performances," and its ability to transform Genet's classic into "something urgent, dangerous, and thrillingly contemporary."
Since opening its doors, New Theater Hollywood has emerged as one of the most vital incubators for experimental performance in Los Angeles, with adventurous programming, artist-driven ethos, and commitment to work that embraces risk, immediacy, and formal experimentation.
"The Domestiques is a play about performance under capitalism" , says director Rory James Leech. "Its characters are constantly rehearsing versions of themselves, trying on power, gender, class, and desire like costumes. This production leans into a very modern instability and angst, celebrating theater as a place where identity is fluid, dangerous, and exhilarating. I'm incredibly excited for LA audiences to take a bite out of this show".
The Domestiques runs from August 14th through August 23rd at 8:30PM at New Theater Hollywood's intimate Hollywood blackbox. The first 10 seats for each performance will be sold as $15 tickets, with other tickets at $30, reinforcing accessible and equitable access to the theater. New Theater Hollywood is located at 6500 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90038.
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