J.D. Murphy's BUTTERCUP to Premiere at Marin Shakespeare Company's Theater

Bay Area writer J.D. Murphy's first theatrical work, Buttercup, will make its world premiere at Marin Shakespeare Company's theater in San Rafael, April 3-13, 2025. Following acclaimed work in film and political writing, including the award-winning feature "Valley of the Heart's Delight," Murphy turns his satirical lens to 1880s France in this comic fable about class, faith, and motherhood. Tickets for Buttercup are $20-35 and are available now.
 
Inspired by Guy de Maupassant's 1880 short story, Boule de Suif, J.D. Murphy's Buttercup reimagines this Franco-Prussian war fable with a healthy dose of irreverent mirth and absurdity. Inspired by apparitions of her heroine Joan of Arc, Buttercup escapes the convent and vows to reunite with her infant daughter. Determined to survive at all costs, Buttercup becomes a courtesan and finds herself in a caravan of refugees including a mysterious nun and insufferably snobbish bourgeoisie couples. Fate reveals its heartwarming and ridiculous heads in this critical romp about class.
 
"After years of exploring American social issues through film and political writing, I found theater to be the perfect medium for examining class dynamics through a historical lens," says playwright J.D. Murphy. "Through this unlikely group of refugees – bourgeois couples, a mysterious nun, a French West African coachman, and a young Prussian officer – we explore how people overcome their prejudices in times of crisis."
 
Directed by renowned Bay Area theater artist Nancy Carlin (Berkeley Rep, American Conservatory Theater, California Shakespeare Theater), the production features an accomplished ensemble cast including Gianna DiGregorio Rivera as Buttercup, with Lizzie Calgero, Brennan Pickman-Thoon, Richard Pallaziol, Rebecca Pingree, Norman Gee, Sarah Mitchell, and Brian Lohmann.
 
“Murphy has crafted a sharp social satire disguised as a comic fairy tale,” says director Nancy Carlin. "While the story is set during the Franco-Prussian War, its skewering of class prejudice and social hypocrisy feels startlingly modern. Buttercup introduces us to larger-than-life characters who make us laugh while exposing uncomfortable truths about how people behave in times of crisis, all while holding a heart-felt center."
 
The creative team includes dramaturg and associate director Leigh Rondon-Davis, choreographer Bridgette Loriaux, casting director LeeAnn Dowd, production manager Sarah Phykitt, scenic designer Randy Wong-Westbrooke, Costume Designer Maggie Whitaker, lighting designer Christian Mejia, sound designer Ray Archie, props designer Kate Fitt, stage manager Toni Ostini and assistant stage manager Zoe Lozano Strickland. Buttercup is produced by Ken Savage. 
 
Performances run Thursday through Sunday. Previews April 3-4 at 7:30 p.m., Opening Night April 5 at 7:30 p.m., with regular performances through April 13. Evening shows at 7:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.