If you’re looking for a snappy satire of the sexist dating scene… consider this tight one-act from literary luminary Germaine de Staël. Although he’s always lived in Germany, Monsieur de la Morlière glorifies all things from France as the pinnacle of culture –– and therefore secured a noble French suitor for his daughter, Sophie. However, our clever heroine is ready with a deliciously silly scheme to reveal the pompous French Count for the fool he is. With both frothy fun and physical comedy, this short play packs a lasting punch with its sharp commentary on the hypocrisy in relationships cordial, familial, and romantic.

If you’re looking for a verse romcom with snarky sidekicks and a lover’s quarrel… look no further than Marie-Anne Barbier’s The Falcon. Federic has spent every penny on impressing Axiane – but she has remained unsure of his true affection. Their friends push and pull for them to see reason, yet fear and flirtation drive them to extremes. This quippy period piece asks, is love worth self-sacrifice? How much? And can we ever truly trust a lover’s meaning and intentions? Beatrice and Benedick but with Bridgerton vibes, this charming cat-and-mouse game of logic and love reminds its audience that personal insecurity is often our deepest romantic challenge.

Hosted by Triza Cox and Emily Lyon

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*drumroll* We are now, officially, Expand the Canon – all day every day. Join some of our fabulous team to toast to this long-time-coming shift. We discuss the change, what all we do here at Expand the Canon, and what we're looking forward to for our next chapter.

Mission:

Expand the Canon champions women and gender-expansive playwrights whose works should have always been considered classics. For over a decade, our partnerships with theaters, educators, and advocates have established a legacy of storytelling with gender equity at its core. By curating a collection of excellent historic plays, we’re building a more inclusive and accurate theatrical canon.

Featuring: Alicia Carroll, Marketing Associate; Emily Lyon, Artistic Director; Maraika Lumholdt, Managing Associate; Rhiannon Ling, Social Media Coordinator; Desirée Baxter, Tia Cassmira, Kate Pitt, Natalie Kane, Research Team.

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This month's two plays: The Guitarrón by Lynne Alvarez & The Girls from the Five and Ten (Les filles du 5-10-15) by Abla Farhoud

If you’re looking for the hot queer drama and dreamy magical realism of Angels in America set against the beaches of Veracruz… look no further than The Guitarrón by Lynne Alvarez. During a cataclysmic fishing drought, six members of the local village fight to find their way out. Underscored by a mysterious cellist with a mesmerizing instrument, in this play each member of the community tries to save the ones they love while navigating the transactional nature of their own relationships. A story about the drought in our souls when the cruelty of reality keeps us from the seas of our dreams, The Guitarrón would be a fabulous addition to any season.

If you’re looking for the darkly vulnerable drama of Suburbia told through the lens of two sisters… The Girls from the Five and Ten gets to the heart of what it means to be overlooked as an immigrant in a new country. Trapped in their father’s variety shop with never-ending work and rude customers, Sisters Amira and Kaokab sacrifice their personal lives in the hopes of someday selling the store and returning to Lebanon. But as their escape seems further and further away each day, the two must decide whether their dream of going home is actually worth the cost. Defiance, sisterhood, rebellion, and oppression are all at the forefront of Farhoud’s heartbreakingly tender sister story.

Hosted by Skye Pagon and Kalina Ko

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This month's two shorter plays: The Inheritance by Kim Ja-Rim 김자림 and Rain of Ice by Hasegawa Shigure

If you’re looking for the character-driven naturalism of Strindberg through the lens of intersectional poverty… consider this one-act drama from the mother of Japanese realism. In her final hours, the terminally ill Tamayo wrestles with delusions of the past as well as anxieties of the present. A former sex worker, she now contends with the role transactionality has played (or not played) in her relationships, interrogating her friends’ true loyalties and fearing for her own daughter’s naivete. Through heartfelt prose and raw, naturalistic dialogue, Hasegawa Shigure digs into the grim realities facing impoverished women, telling an intersectional story of depth and intimacy.

If you’re looking for the character-driven naturalism of Strindberg through the lens of intersectional poverty… consider Rain of Ice from the mother of Japanese realism. In her final hours, the terminally ill Tamayo wrestles with delusions of the past as well as anxieties of the present. A former sex worker, she now contends with the role transactionality has played (or not played) in her relationships, interrogating her friends’ true loyalties and fearing for her own daughter’s naivete. Through heartfelt prose and raw, naturalistic dialogue, Hasegawa Shigure digs into the grim realities facing impoverished women, telling an intersectional story of depth and intimacy.

Hosted by Kalina Ko and Gagarin

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This month's two shorter plays: Pleasure by Rachilde and Three Women by Sylvia Plath!

If you’re looking for a play that reveals how the pursuit of sensuality can both liberate and ensnare… then Rachilde’s Pleasure is the two-hander of your dreams. An intimate, delicate, and emotionally charged conversation between two young lovers, Pleasure offers feminist undertones with a dangerous and erotic edge. The play’s themes of sexual politics, youthful desire, and the consequences of indulgence are as timely today as they were in its origins in the Belle Époque. Fans of Sarah Kane, Sam Shepard, and Edith Wharton alike will delight in its dark twists and lush poetry, making this a standout choice for a contemporary or a classical season.

If you’re looking for an achingly lyrical play probing the complex beauty and pain of pregnancy… consider this dramatic poem that brings Sylvia Plath’s raw emotionality to the stage. Interweaving three contrasting perspectives, this piece wrestles with childbirth, loss, and motherhood as perceived by a trio of women. One welcomes a wished-for and beloved child; another comes to terms with a miscarriage; the third gives her child up for adoption following the trauma of sexual assault. The resulting chorus paints a sharp and unflinching portrait of having, or losing, a child. Three Women is a daring piece to engage a community in conversation around the choices and agency of reproductive rights arcing towards glimmers of hope and healing.

Hosted by Skye Pagon and Emily Lyon

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We're back to expanding the canon! The 5 curators for our 5th List are here to dish about what makes this year's list of plays special. Not only are they plays of a different ilk, but we have WAY MORE this time for you to dig into!

Dive in with Emily Lyon, Triza Cox, Skye Pagon, Kalina Ko, and Gagarin for another year of plays that are CLASSICS.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/this-is-a-classic-the-expand-the-canon-theatre-podcast/donations

If you’re looking for an ensemble-lead choreopoem that explores the Black experience in the entertainment industry… consider Spell #7 by celebrated playwright Ntozake Shange. Set in the late 70s in St. Louis, Missouri, the play welcomes us into a world not too far from our own, forcing us to reckon with the realities of the “isms” in creative spaces. The play takes us through the lives of 9 characters who are fighting to discover themselves as artists in a society that sees them as one dimensional after-thoughts. Using a mixture of lush poetry and stylized choreography (and guided by a literal magician), the ensemble explores the effects of blackface and violence against Black women in the entertainment industry and beyond. 

Hosted by Shannon Corenthin and Skye Pagon

Monologue by Terra Chaney

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If you’re looking to explore the transactional nature of relationships when status is on the line… consider this tender-hearted hilarious romp complete with gossip, political intrigue, and romantic complications. Social prestige and customs maintain the delicate ecosystem that is the royal court, but when Moncade, the King’s sensitive and widely beloved favorite, is cast out, chaos ensues. As Moncade reckons with his status, the courtiers around him scheme to advance their own agendas using witty prose and undeniably shady tactics. With themes of inner beauty, integrity, and finding meaning within the ordinary, Le Favori calls into question our social ties and asks us what it means to truly value friendship.

Hosted by Skye Pagon and Gagarin.

Scene by Dorothea Gloria and Samanthia Nixon.

Dramaturgy by Sierra Rosetta

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If you’re looking for a lush, poetic drama with a powerhouse queer heroine and an intersectional view of indigeneity… consider this moving piece from an eminent Chicana dramatist. Josefa is a pillar of her rural community - unflappable, benevolent, formidable, respected. Why then is there a fresh bloodstain on her floor? As the rest of the village women gather for a ritual to find husbands, Josefa is trapped in her house, frantically trying to prevent her secret from being revealed. This play is a harrowing, verdant exploration of the creation and keeping of a queer utopia, and what it costs to protect it. Capturing the poetry and cultural interrogation of Tennessee Williams with a distinctly feminist viewpoint, Day of the Swallows examines the secrets we’re forced to keep and the lengths we go to hide them.

Hosted by Gagarin and Skye Pagon.

Dramaturgy by James La Bella.

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If you’re looking for a whirling political drama centering a mother’s feminist awakening… consider this dreamlike exploration of familial ties and civic responsibility. Nearly two years after the killing of her son, Sujata continues to struggle with his involvement in the uprising that resulted in his death. She embarks on a journey to understand her son and in doing so comes to recognize her own oppression as a mother, wife, and woman. Reminiscent of Brecht’s The Mother, this powerful and deeply human play examines grief, love, and the cost of revolution.

Hosted by Gagarin and Kalina Ko

Monologue by Shubhra Prakash

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/this-is-a-classic-the-expand-the-canon-theatre-podcast/donations