Hart House Theatre Opens THIS IS FOR YOU, ANNA Today

Opening today, February 27, Hart House Theatre is thrilled to present a ground-breaking and impactful work that has resonated with audiences since its premiere in the 1980s.

Directed by Chelsea Dab Hilke and featuring the city's finest emerging talent, this production is a prime example of what Hart House Theatre does best: pairing professionals with trained emerging youthful talent in theatre that has a high production value and is both compelling and unique. This is for You, Anna is a haunting exploration of revenge, liberation and motherhood. Breaking the mould of contemporary theatre, it demands that we acknowledge a new perspective and a new possibility in storytelling. When it made its debut in the 1980s, it was the first of its kind: a collective creation that strove to construct a theatrical story that was wholly female. From its structure and creative process to its subject matter and performing space, This is for You, Anna is a cheekily satirical and surprisingly poignant play that stands apart even today.

Heading up the creative team is Director Chelsea Dab Hilke. From her director's notes:

There are certain images and ideas we conjure up when considering women and violence. Consider, instead, altering that notion toward the idea of violent women - women who take violence on others or themselves. How do those previous images and ideas change? This Is For You, Anna demands the audience to reflect on what it means when a woman is the initiator of violence and not the victim, the cause and effect of this circumstance, and how we, as a society, respond. The play's themes of motherhood, justice, revenge, abuse, love and memory all tie into its core question - can violence ever be justified?

Over 30 years after the creators of This Is For You, Anna began asking this question, women continue to suffer abuse from their spouse, boss, strangers, friends, lovers, and families. It is clear that a discussion on women and violence is still needed in 2015 and this piece provides a strong framework for that conversation to evolve.

Tasked with creating the visual landscape of collective space are Production Designer Elizabeth Kantor, Lighting Designer Joseph Patrick and Sound Designer Jeremy Hutton.