The Waiting Room

This work brings together three women of different eras in the waiting room of a contemporary doctor’s office: an 18th-century Chinese woman who has lost a toe after years of foot binding; a 19th-century English doctor’s wife diagnosed with hysteria, and a New Jersey secretary who has devoted her life to cosmetic surgery. Through conversation that includes graphic descriptions of foot wrapping, corseting and breast implantations, it emerges that each is a victim of her culture’s exacting notions of womanly beauty. The Waiting Room is written by Lisa Loomer and directed by Anna Ward.