SpeakEasy Stage Company Presents the New England Premiere of Casa Valentina
(© The Photography of Glenn Perry)
Casa Valentina starts its run tonight at SpeakEasy Stage Company.
In 1962 at a resort in the Catskills, a group of heterosexual men meet in secret to dress and behave like women. In beehives and brassieres, they leave behind the concerns of their family lives and find camaraderie in cocktails and McGuire Sisters. Their private sanctuary is threatened, however, when they are faced with the decision whether or not to reveal their female alter egos in an effort to encourage political acceptance. "The sorority" must contemplate the cost of freedom at the risk of ruin. Based on actual events, the play explores gender, self-acceptance, and the struggle to find the right pumps.
Written by Harvey Fierstein and directed by Scott Edmiston, the play features Timothy Crowe as The Judge/Amy, Thomas Derrah as George/Valentina, Kerry A. Dowling as Rita, Greg Maraio as Jonathon/Miranda, Deb Martin as Eleanor, Will McGarrahan as Charlotte, Sean McGuirk as Terry, Robert Saoud as Bessie, and Eddie Shields as Gloria.
The creative team includes Janie E. Howland (scenic design), Gail Astrid Buckley (costume design), Karen Perlow (lighting design), Dewey Dellay (sound design), and Dawn Saglio (stage manager).
Performances will run through November 28.
