The IU theatre, Drama, and Contemporary Dance department will perform its first play of the year, called “Bonnets (How Ladies of Good Breeding Are Induced to Murder)," virtually at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 27 over Zoom due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Bonnets," written by Jen Silverman, is about a group of women in different time periods who are confronted with legacies of violence and power, driven by agency rather than victimhood.
The play is a part of the Big Ten Consortium, a coalition the Big Ten schools created to produce works by women for women, Anderson said.
Jamie Anderson, director of “Bonnets,” said this play was a lively production.
“It’s a comedic production where it’s surrounded by feminine rage,” Anderson said.
A play with music is a scripted play where music is featured in certain moments of the play, Anderson said.
Rachel Johnson, stage manager of “Bonnets," said it’s odd because the actors had to become technicians themselves because they had to set up lights and spaces on their own.
“I learned that this is a vital source of entertainment for the future,” Johnson said. “We don’t know how long this pandemic will last, but by doing this play with music, it shows us a potential solution to move forward till theaters open back up.”
Kalia Day, an actor in “Bonnets," said this play shows the importance of showcasing underrepresented voices. Being a plus-size, queer Asian woman, she said she really loves that this show is about feminist rage and upheaving the patriarchy.
“My character's name is Webster who is an indentured English maid in the 1800s who is struggling to express her sexuality,” Day said. “She’s a bit of a hopeless romantic but is also a fool with a well-intentioned heart.”
Johnson said this play shows even during a pandemic, theater and the performing arts can thrive online.
“During these times with the pandemic and social movements over the summer, it has separated us even more and what theater does is demonstrating more human and raw emotions that we feel that can let us know that we can relate to one another,” Johnson said.
Tickets can be reserved online at the theater department's website.
