Mortal Folly Theatre and Bushwick Shakes Present New One-Acts in BROADSIDE!, Now thru 7/22

Mortal Folly Theatre and Bushwick Shakespeare Repertory, in conjunction with the Looking Glass Space Grant Program, are thrilled to be bringing five female-character driven one-act plays to the stage in BROADSIDE!: WOMEN OF WIT & WILL, starting tonight, July 11th at the Looking Glass Theatre.

An action-packed evening of adventurous (and mostly new!) storytelling, the heroines of BROADSIDE! go to extraordinary ends to pursue lives of their choosing--even when flying in the face of societal norms. Full of vivid characters, this swashbuckling romp spans nearly a thousand years of history through five short plays with a fearless female perspective. The women of BROADSIDE! hail from history (such as the “Lieutenant Nun”, Catalina De Erauso), mythology (the Viking princess Alvild), and the writers’ own imaginations. Regardless of origin, all of them share the same hope, as declared by De Erauso in Lieutenant Nun: “I wanted more than the life that had been resigned to me.”

The pieces presented as part of BROADSIDE! are:

THE TRUE AUTHOR...REVEALED - Based on a true story, Miss Delia Bacon is eager to crack the Shakespeare code and share its secrets with you!

THE SIGN IN THE SCARLET PRISON – Inspired by an Emily Dickinson poem: An imprisoned heir to the throne, an unyielding teacher, a mysterious cross in blood, and a deadly lesson in swordplay.

FIRST TO DRAW BLOOD - Princess Alvild prefers a life of piracy to submitting to an arranged marriage. But her betrothed, Prince Alf, is not so easily thwarted in his pursuit!

WHEN LADIES GO A-THIEVING - For a clever trio of pickpockets in this homage to the seedy underbelly of Dickensian London, Life imitates Art a bit too well.

LIEUTENANT NUN: THE THRILLING ADVENTURES OF CATALINA DE ERAUSO - Notorious cross-dressing conquistador Catalina de Erauso has hired (only somewhat competent) actors to assist in the dramatic portrayal of her memoirs. Bravado! Dueling! Heckling! Death! It’s all part of the show!

The plays of BROADSIDE! were written by award-winning New York-based playwright James Armstrong,and Mortal Folly artistic director Katherine Harte-DeCoux. BROADSIDE! features the acting talents of Alexsis Balaoing, Robert Bellsey, Giselle Chatelain, Diana Green, Katherine Harte-DeCoux, Shannon Kelly, Laura King, Matthew Rini, Emily Stine and Daniel P. Walters.

The pieces are directed by Katherine Harte-DeCoux, Stacee Mandeville and Taylor Tobin, with Fight
Direction from Nathan DeCoux. Original Music by Emily Stine and Daniel P. Walters.

More information about Mortal Folly, and a blog about the process of creating this production
of BROADSIDE! can be found at www.mortalfollytheatre.org. Tickets are $18.00 ($15.00 student/
senior tickets), on sale now. Complimentary tickets for press or industry professionals can be reserved by contacting the company at mortalfollytheatre@gmail.com.