- 2023-10-08
Mother of the Maid | WEST COAST PREMIERE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, October 14th, 2019
MARIN THEATRE COMPANY
PRODUCES WEST COAST PREMIERE OF
MARIN PLAYWRIGHT, JANE ANDERSON’S
Mother of the Maid
MILL VALLEY, CA—Marin Theatre Company (MTC) sweeps into the holiday season with the West Coast Premiere of Jane Anderson’s profound portrait of family and acceptance—Mother of the Maid—directed by MTC’s Artistic Director Jasson Minadakis.
Mother of the Maid delves into the life of Isabelle Arc—a sensible, hard-working, God-fearing woman. Her headstrong daughter, on the other hand, communes with Saint Catherine, dons men’s clothing and prepares to lead the French army into battle. Motherhood in the fifteenth century is not easy. Jane Anderson’s Mother of the Maid reimagines Joan of Arc’s epic tale through the eyes of her mother. Isabelle follows the baffling journey of her odd and extraordinary daughter with a mother’s loving persistence—facing her own upended fears and faith along the way. History may remember Joan of Arc as a patron saint, armed heroine, and deft political thinker—but her mother remembers things quite differently.
This “robustly sentimental,” (New York Times) “quietly piercing, luminous new play” (New York Stage Review) finished its Broadway run—starring the inimitable Glenn Close—with critical acclaim.
MTC’s Artistic Director Jasson Minadakis helms the West Coast Premiere, featuring Sherman Fracher (August: Osage County) as Isabelle Arc, Rosie Hallett (peerless, Native Son) as Joan Arc, Scott Coopwood (Sovereignty) as Jacques Arc, Brennan Pickman-Thoon as Pierre Arc, Robert Sicular (Shakespeare in Love, August: Osage County) as Father Gilbert, and Liz Sklar (Wink, The Wolves, Anne Boleyn) as Lady of the Court.
“Mother of the Maid is one of those rare plays that gets to the heart of what it is to have a child and know they are extraordinary, yet struggle to understand that child. In this case, one of the most remarkable young women to have ever lived: Joan of Arc. Many caregivers will be able to relate to what it means for Isabelle and Jacques Arc to have a child who they can’t quite understand, but whom they know they need to support; even when that support may put their child’s life in danger. It's a fundamental question that all of us face in relationships, familial or otherwise: ‘Do I support my loved ones through anything, no matter the cost—or do I draw a line, in terms of how far I’m willing to go?’”—Jasson Minadakis
More on Playwright, Jane Anderson
"Marin is where my heart is, it’s where I go to soothe my soul. I’m so glad that this very raw and personal piece of me is getting a home on the MTC stage.”—Jane Anderson
Jane Anderson is an Emmy award-winning writer and director for theatre, film and television. Plays include: The Baby Dance, Defying Gravity, Looking for Normal, The Quality of Life, The Escort, Lynette at 3AM, Food & Shelter and The Last Time We Saw Her. Her plays have been produced Off-Broadway and in theatres around the country, including ACT, Arena Stage, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Williamstown, Shakespeare & Company, The McCarter Theatre, Long Wharf, Geffen Playhouse, and the Pasadena Playhouse. Her latest play, Mother of the Maid, premiered at the Public Theater in 2018 and starred Glenn Close. Screenwriting credits: The Wife, starring Glenn Close, How to Make An American Quilt, It Could Happen to You and The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio, starring Julianne Moore & Woody Harrelson, which she also directed. Documentary film: Packed in a Trunk: The Lost Art of Edith Lake Wilkinson, featured on HBO. Television writing credits: HBO’s Olive Kitteridge, starring Frances McDormand for which she received an Emmy Award for best teleplay and limited series, a Writers Guild Award for best teleplay and nominated for a Golden Globe for best limited series. She wrote HBO’s The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader Murdering Mom, for which she received an Emmy, Penn Award and Writers Guild Award for best teleplay. She wrote and directed The Baby Dance for Showtime which she adapted from her play and received the Peabody Award as well as Golden Globe and Emmy nominations. She wrote and directed Normal for HBO (starring Jessica Lang & Tom Wilkinson) adapted from her play Looking for Normal which received Emmy, Golden Globe and Directors’ Guild and Writers’ Guild nominations for best writing and directing. She wrote and directed When Billie Beat Bobby starring Holly Hunter and Ron Silver, and wrote and directed the first segment of HBO’s If These Walls Could Talk II which starred Vanessa Redgrave for which she received an Emmy nomination for best teleplay.
More on Artistic Director, Jasson Minadakis
Jasson Minadakis is in his 14th season as artistic director of Marin Theatre Company, where he has directed Sovereignty, Oslo (SFBATCC Awards for Best Lighting Design, Best Ensemble, and Best Entire Production - Bay Area), Shakespeare in Love, Thomas and Sally, Guards at the Taj, August: Osage County, The Invisible Hand, Anne Boleyn, The Convert, The Whale, Failure: A Love Story, the world premiere of Lasso of Truth, The Whipping Man (SFBATCC Awards for Best Production and Best Acting Ensemble), Waiting for Godot, Othello: the Moor of Venice, The Glass Menagerie, Edward Albee’s Tiny Alice, the world premiere of Libby Appel’s adaptation of Chekhov’s Seagull, Happy Now?, Equivocation (SFBATCC Award, Best Director), the world premiere of Sunlight, Lydia, The Seafarer, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, A Streetcar Named Desire, said Saïd, Love Song, and The Subject Tonight is Love. As artistic director of Actor’s Express Theatre Company, he directed The Pillowman; Bug; The Love Song of J. Robert Oppenheimer; Echoes of Another Man; Killer Joe; Burn This; The Goat or, Who is Sylvia?; Blue/Orange; and Bel Canto. As producing artistic director of Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival, he directed Jesus Hopped the ’A’ Train, Chagrin Falls (2002 Cincinnati Entertainment Award for Best Production), and numerous others, including 19 productions of Shakespeare. Regional credits include The Whipping Man at Virginia Stage Company, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Hamlet at Georgia Shakespeare, Copenhagen at Playhouse on the Square (2003 Ostrander Theatre Award for Best Dramatic Production), and Bedroom Farce at Wayside Theatre.
CALENDAR LISTING
Theatre | Performing Arts
WHO
By Jane Anderson
Directed by Jasson Minadakis
FEATURING
*Sherman Fracher: ISABELLE ARC
*Rosie Hallett: JOAN ARC
*Scott Coopwood: JACQUES ARC
*Brennan Pickman-Thoon: PIERRE ARC
*Robert Sicular: FATHER GILBERT
*Liz Sklar: LADY OF THE COURT
* Denotes member of Actors’ Equity Association
WHEN
November 14th - December 8th
PERFORMANCES
OPENING NIGHT: Tuesday, November 19th
Evenings
Tuesday - Sunday, 7:30PM
Matinees
Sunday (Preview) November 17th, 4PM
Thursday (Perspectives) December 5th, 1PM
Saturdays, November 23rd & 30th, December 7th, 2PM
Sundays November 24th, December 1st & 8th, 2PM
WHERE
397 Miller Ave | Mill Valley, CA 94941
ABOUT
Isabelle Arc is a sensible, hard-working, God-fearing woman. Her headstrong daughter, on the other hand, communes with Saint Catherine, dons men’s clothing and prepares to lead the French army into battle. Motherhood in the fifteenth century is not easy. Jane Anderson’s Mother of the Maid reimagines Joan of Arc’s epic tale through the eyes of her mother. Isabelle follows the baffling journey of her odd and extraordinary daughter with a mother’s loving persistence—facing her own upended fears and faith along the way.
Tickets $25 - $70
Discounts for seniors, under 35, teens, military families, and teachers are available.
Group Discounts: Purchase 8 or more tickets and receive a $7 discount off each ticket. MTC will also waive any applicable order fees. As the organizer of a group, your ticket is free! Contact kater@marintheatre.org for more information.
Press Photos will be available for Mother of the Maid on Friday, November 15th.
MTC ENGAGEMENT EVENTS
- Window on the Work: Join members of MTC’s artistic staff and cast of the show to discuss artistic and production elements of MTC’s production of Mother of the Maid at 7:00PM on Tuesday, November 5th, at the Mill Valley Public Library.
- W.I.N.E Night: #BeAnInfluencer and join us pre-show for a glass (or two) of W.I.N.E. + snax at our Wednesday Influencers Networking Event for Mother of the Maid on Wednesday, November 20th at 6:45PM! See the best new theatre in the Bay without breaking the bank, and mingle with other top-fan theatre-goers. Get access to the pre-show reception + your ticket to the show for only $10 using promo code: INFLUENCER. PLUS: if you post about your experience after the show and tag MTC, we’ll give you a complimentary ticket voucher to come back and see the show again, or to bring a friend with you to the next show!
- Perspectives: The third Thursday of each show is the Perspectives matinee performance which includes a pre-show topical lecture. For Mother of the Maid, the Perspectives matinee is scheduled for Thursday, December 5th, with the pre-show lecture beginning at 12:30PM, and the performance beginning at 1:00PM.
- Pre-Show Discussions: Join members of MTC’s artistic staff to discuss the play, playwright and play’s themes on Wednesdays before the 7:30PM performances.
- After Words: Join a member of MTC’s artistic staff (often with one or more members of the cast) for a Q&A talkback after every performance, except Saturday evenings and Opening and Closing Nights.
ACCESS
Marin Theatre Company provides open captioned performances of each of the plays in our mainstage series on the Thursday matinee. The open captioned performance for Mother of the Maid will be Thursday, December 5th, at 1:00PM.
For visually impaired patrons, Large Print playbills are available with one week’s advance notice. To request a Large Print playbill, call MTC’s Box Office, (415) 388-5208, or use the California Telecommunications Relay Service by dialing “711.” For hearing impaired patrons, amplified sound Assistive Listening Devices are available. Our system will also work with personal assistive hearing devices equipped with a T-coil.
BOX OFFICE CONTACT
marintheatre.org | (415) 388-5208 | boxoffice@marintheatre.org
ABOUT MTC
Marin Theatre Company is the Bay Area’s premier mid-sized theatre and the leading professional theatre in the North Bay. We produce a six-show season focused on new American plays. We are committed to the development and production of new plays, with a comprehensive New Play Program that includes productions of world premieres, two nationally recognized annual playwriting awards and readings and workshops by the nation’s best emerging and established playwrights. Our numerous education programs serve more than 4,500 students from over 40 Bay Area schools each year. MTC strives to create intimate, powerful and emotional experiences that engage audiences to discuss new ideas and adopt a broader point of view. We believe in taking risks and inspiring people to participate in live theatre, regardless of personal means. MTC celebrates the intellectual curiosity of our community, and we believe that theatre is an important tool to help build empathy. MTC was founded in 1966 and is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
PRESS CONTACT
Kate Robinson, Director of Ticketing and Communications Associate
(415) 322-6029 | kater@marintheatre.org