DC Theater Arts: Picture this: Three women, described as “hysterics,” dominate the stage. Two of them do a mad dance around the other, who is lying prone at their feet.
That scene is the prologue of La Salpêtrière, a new play written by Kelsey Mesa and produced by Taffety Punk, the remarkable theater company housed at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop. It sets the stage, literally, for a drama that veers from dreamlike acceptance of the grotesque to nightmarish demonstrations of hypnosis, used here as a weapon to manipulate, entertain, and destroy.
1 comment:
I absolutely love theater, or really any type of art, that is just incredibly weird and makes you question how somebody could possibly have the idea to create it. I find this type of theater often has some of the most profound themes because it is so focused on unique ideas and events that aren't things people experience often. This show seems to fit exactly in this characterization. I never would have thought about a French hospital treating hysteria otherwise, but I sure am now. This story seems like it will do 2 things very well: give a showcase of an interesting part of history while also revealing interesting facts about humanity. Additionally, this DC, which is where I am from. I often forget that DC has a very large and unique theater scene, and I feel bad that I really only got into seeing theater in the past 2 or so years. This is definitely a show I'd be interested in seeing if I am able.
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