In the Marin Theatre Company‘s ongoing quest to tell stories “that feel more of the moment and feel more urgent in terms of their storytelling,” as MTC Artistic Director Jasson Minadakis recently told the Marin Independent Journal, the organization’s upcoming production, Love, dives deeply into those complexities. Written by playwright Kate Cortesi, a current Huntington Playwriting Fellow and recent Playwrights Horizons Commission awarded, Love runs March 5-29.
When Penelope is approached about joining a group of women making harassment allegations against her former boss, she finds herself at an uncomfortable crossroads—the man accused was a former lover and remains a dear friend. As the women’s stories unfold, Penelope questions what happened to her, what she enabled, and her very identity. Love examines what accountability looks like when an abuser of power is one of our favorite men, and poses a radical question: Can we place love at the center of these reckonings?
“I wrote this play because there is a conversation around sex and power that I believe people want to have that we’re not having, not in public anyway, Cortesi says. “Do we want dark truth to come to light? Yes. Do we want justice for abuses? Yes. Do we want to acknowledge and correct the exploits of patriarchy? Absolutely. AND we also want to delve into the relationships where this reckoning is complicated, murky, and colored by, among other things, love. I believe love belongs at the center of these reckonings, right next to justice and truth.”
New York-based director Mike Donahue helms the production, which features newcomers Clea Alsip (Penelope), Rebecca Schweitzer (Vanessa), R. Ward Duffy (Otis), Bobak Cyrus Bakhtiari (Jaime) Mari Vial-Golden (Whitney/Rebecca) and MTC veteran Robert Sicular (Ron/Ken).
The 411: Marin Theatre Company‘s production of Love opens March 5 and runs through March 29. 397 Miller Ave. Tix $25-$70. Discounts for seniors, under 35, teens, military families, and teachers are available. MORE INFO & TIX.