Spine Tingling
Ghost Story

JNEhte,...triet,

Role Reversal

Shakespeare group takes the stage, speaking
All
words originally meant for men.

Detroit News

THE WOMAN

LYNNE MEREDITH COHN STAFF WRITER

ack in William
Shakespeare's day,
only men ascended
the stage of the
Globe Theater, playing
both the roles of men and
of women.
Well, what goeth
around, cometh around.
The Detroit Women's
Shakespeare Project has
turned the Bard upside
down. In its first produc-
tion, of Henry V, women
will don the clothes and
speak the words of all
roles — from Henry to
Exeter.
The idea for the troupe
arose last spring, ac-
cording to Yolanda Fleis-
cher, associate professor Actress Julie Van Dusen (left) listens to voice coach Cynthia Blaise.
of theater at the Univer-
For auditions, the women
audition, attended by 75 women.
sity of Detroit-Mercy.
were asked to prepare two
The
play
offers
only
two
Kathryn McGill, who plays
pieces: a traditional female role
Henry, brings her expertise from women's roles and a bevy of male and a nontraditional or male
leading the Oklahoma Shake- parts. Ms. Fleischer insists that part. "Right down the line, the
speare in the Park project for the the production comes with no men's pieces were the better of
past 12 years. New to town, agenda. "We just wanted to the two — it shows you where
along with Cynthia Blaise (a speak those words."
But while the actors' motiva- the writing is the strongest," says
voice instructor at Wayne State
tions
for joining an all-women Ms. Fleischer.
University), the pair contacted
'We want to see what happens
troupe
vary, some bring a strong
Ms. Fleischer, Margaret
when these words are put in the
feminist
bent.
"It
is
not
the
dri-
Thomas, Mary Locker (a casting
mouths of women," she says.
director for talent agencies) and ving force behind the work, but "Shakespeare gave so many dif-
Pat Ansuini (a local director) to I think it can help," she said.
The group is performing twice ferent facets to Henry that we
get the ball rolling.
for
audiences of high-school girls. see people exploring their hu-
Instead of performing just a
Since
the play is after school manity, not becoming a man."
few scenes to lure grantors, the
The all-female troupe is the
hours,
the
troupe did not expect
group decided to go ahead with
third such group in the country,
many
students
to
attend.
But
a full production. "Before we can
including Footsteps in Chicago
even ask for grants, we've got to immediately after hearing that and the Los Angeles Women's
show them we can do some- the production wab all-women, Shakespeare Company. Al-
about 80 girls from Ladywood though it is an equity show, none
thing," says Ms. Fleischer.
They pooled together their High School in Livonia signed of the actors is paid.
own money and held a general up.
The community has been sup-
portive so far, but Ms. Fleischer
says the real test is to fill the
seats. El

Et Henry V will be performed
in the Commons Theatre at
Roeper School, two blocks
north of Maple on Adams,
east of downtown Birming-
ham. Evening performances
are 8 p.m. Friday and Satur-
day, Jan. 31-Feb. 1 and Feb.
7-Feb. 8, and 7 p.m. Sunday,
Feb. 9. There will be two
matinees, at 3 p.m. on Feb.
1 and at 2 p.m. on Feb. 9.
Seating is first come, first
served, with a 99-person ca-
pacity. There is no set ticket
price, but a suggested dona-
tion of $10 is recommended.
For more information, call
(313) 885-1842.

Anne Schneider and Cheryl Roy rehearse.

"Genuinely spooky
and
joyously theatrical.
A real thriller"

BLACK

by Stephen Mallatratt

For tickets call
Meadow Brook
Box Office
(810) 377-3300
Ticketmaster
(810) 645-6666
Hudson's
Harmony House and
Blockbuster Music

Meadow
Brook
Theatre

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