Three theater companies led by women, the Neo-Political Cowgirls, MultiStages, and Eden Theater Company, have joined forces to launch the Femme Collective. The group seeks to redefine how theater companies operate in a postpandemic world by combining resources, sharing spaces, and cultivating a spirit of creative independence.
The collective will begin a four-week residency at the Theater at the 14th Street Y, 344 East 14th Street in Manhattan, tonight at 7 with “Broken Thread,” a play by D-Davis, directed by Miles Sternfeld from Eden Theater Company.
The other productions, which will be shown in repertory, are “The She-Wolves” from the Neo-Political Cowgirls, and Paula Cizmar’s “January,” directed by Lorca Peress, the artistic director of MultiStages.
“The She-Wolves,” which will have 10 performances starting tomorrow at 7 p.m., is directed by Kate Mueth, artistic director of the Cowgirls. It premiered at LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton in August. The performance uses Shakespeare’s text and characters, dance, music, and images to create a modern-day fairy tale. The spirit of Sycorax, an unseen character from “The Tempest,” is holding a competition, to be judged by the audience, to crown her replacement so that her spirit can finally be set free. Each night there is a winner — but what happens to the losing women?
The production stars Vanessa Walters, Annika Helgeson, Anita Parrot, Ava Jones, Mary Garrett Turner, Shira Kagan-Shafman, Rina Dutta, Mariama Conde, and Colleen Edwards. It was written by Ms. Mueth and Emma Tattenbaum-Fine, with choreography by Violet Spann and Ms. Mueth. Costume design is by Yuka Silvera, props by Sarah Azzara, and the production manager is Charlotte Ehrhardt.
Tickets for “The She-Wolves” are $35, $45 for reserved seating.
