The new play Cassatt, written and directed by Arden Teresa Lewis, will run May 29-June 28 at Theatre West in Los Angeles.
Produced by Garry M. Kluger for the Theatre West Writers-in-Residence program, the production has performances at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 3 p.m. on Sundays.
Cassatt is a multi-media play exploring the life and art of this genius of La Belle Epoque. For the uninitiated, La Belle Epoque ("The Beautiful Era") was a period where the arts flourished and reached exceptional achievements in Europe, especially in Paris, 1871-1914.
Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) was born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania and became a student at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia at the age of 15. Determined to make her own way in the world as a painter, she moved to Paris in 1866. Her paintings began to be featured at the Paris Salon. She became the first American woman to be accepted by the new Impressionist Movement and, exhibiting with them in 1879, she established an international reputation.
As for the play itself, on the grounds of her French country estate Mary Cassatt burns her early paintings. What led this celebrated American Impressionist to destroy such an important part of her legacy? In an age when men dominated the art world, Mary Cassatt made her mark in the salons of Paris, alongside great masters like Degas and Renoir. Her paintings celebrated the dignity and deeper meaning of women's inner lives.
Cassatt is written and directed by Arden Teresa Lewis. A recent Emmy winner for her documentary Leveling Lincoln (PBS), her next film, The Last Reunion, will be released in 2027. Her previous directing credits at Theatre West include Walking in Space, A Thorn in the Family Paw, and The Night Forlorn, or Waitin' on Godsford (Valley Theatre Award). She recently co-directed Sally Spectre Off Off Broadway. Her own plays include Grandma Good (Lilian Nesburn Award), Baby Dreams, and Little Rhonda. Also an actor, she has performed at Primary Stages, Soho Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Bouerie Lane Theatre, and La Mirada Civic Theatre. She is a graduate of UCLA.
The cast of Cassatt includes Samantha Gregory, Cecil Jennings, Saratoga Ballantine, Kathie Barnes, Alexandria Sanders, Lily Cadot, Briana Burnside, Walter Rodriguez, Caroline Quigley, and Daniel Korth.
The creative team includes Elise Walters (assistant to the director), Jeff G. Rack (set design), Gabrieal Griego (graphic and projection designer), Michelle Afradi (costume design), Elyse Ashton (production consultant), and Sarah Acuna (stage manager).
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