Photo by Mark Frohna
Powder Her Face by Thomas Adés and librettist Philip Hensher is a chamber opera inspired by the life of Duchess Margaret Campbell of Argyll (1912-1993), a socialite and celebrity of her time who is often remembered most for her scandalous public divorce in 1963. Viswa Subbaraman, Skylight Music Theatre’s artistic director and music director for the production, describes Adés as “one of the most important living composers that we have.”
There are only a handful of companies in the U.S. that have performed the work and Subbaraman says it is often presented as more of a send-up of the Duchess focused on her sexual escapades. That changed when Sandra Bernhard, the first woman to direct the show, staged the Houston premiere with Subbaraman in 2011. Her big philosophical shift was to tell the story from the Duchess’ eyes and not from society’s. Bernhard was supposed to direct Skylight’s production as well but, due to her failing health, asked her friend and accomplished director Robin Guarino to take over. Bernhard died of a rare cancer last June and Guarino and Subbaraman are following her vision. This production is only the second in America directed by a woman.
“I feel like we’ve really found a show that’s uniquely ours,” says Subbaraman. “In a season that celebrates women, Powder gives us an opportunity to talk about women and celebrity. And I think what we have done is turned the show on its head. We wanted to be able to look at it and say, ‘Who are we as society as we look at these people as celebrity, when we put them on their pedestals and look forward to the day we can tear them down? And what happens to them once they’re torn down?’ Powder is one of the more radical works of the 20th century and we should be bringing some of the most important works of the last century to Milwaukee. Milwaukee deserves that.”
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Guarino adds, “I hope that audiences will trust that we’ve really brought them an important piece of contemporary work with an issue that’s relevant, and we’ve done it with dignity. ”
Powder Her Face, which includes explicit language and sexual subject matter, runs Jan. 29-Feb. 14 at the Broadway Theatre Center’s Cabot Theatre, 158 N. Broadway. Each show includes insightful one-hour pre-show and post-show talks. For tickets, call 414-291-7800 or visit skylightmusictheatre.org.
For an extended version of the interview with Viswa Subbarman, Robin Guarino and Cassandra Black, who plays the Duchess, click here.
Theatre Happenings:
Falls Patio Players presents Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple (Female Version), in which Florence Unger and Olive Madison enjoy an evening of Trivial Pursuit at Ms. Madison’s place. Show runs Feb. 5-14 at North Middle School Auditorium, N88 W16750 Garfield Drive, Menomonee Falls. For tickets, call 262-255-8372 or visit fallspatioplayers.com.
For the third installment of the Village Playhouse’s 2015/2016 Write for Wisconsin season, the company presents Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, a story set on Chicago’s South Side about divergent dreams and conflicts within three generations of a family. Performances will be held at Inspiration Studios, 1500 S. 73rd St., West Allis, Feb. 5-21. For tickets, call 414-207-4879 or visit villageplayhouse.org.
Mark Boergers and Cardinal Stritch graduate Dianne Sposito’s world premiere adaptation of Cinderella comes to the university’s Nancy Kendall Mainstage Theater (6801 N. Yates Road), Feb. 6-14. For tickets, call 414-410-4171 or visit stritch.edu.
Milwaukee native Aaron Thielen is lead artistic director and choreographer for the Marriott Theatre’s (10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire, Ill.) production of the Tony Award-winning Spring Awakening. Show runs through Jan. 31; for tickets, call 847-634-0200 or visit marriotttheatre.com.
