INTAR will stage the world premiere of The Maids by Oscar-nominated and Obie-winning writer José Rivera. The playwright has adapted Jean Genet’s dark tale, resetting the French story to Vieques Island in Puerto Rico, on the eve of the U.S. military’s invasion in 1941.
Daniel Irizarry directs a cast that features Laura Butler Rivera, Daniel Irizarry, Charlie Munn, Casey Robinson and Folami Williams. Rivera himself will make special appearances in the show September 29-October 9. The Maids is scheduled to run September 29-October 23 at INTAR’s theatre space, located at 500 West 52nd Street, New York.
In Rivera’s interpretation, two maids, sisters Monique and Yvette, dream of liberating Vieques from La Doña, mistress of the largest sugar plantation on the island. “Rituals are enacted, roles are reversed, identities become fluid, bombs fall, poison is consumed, genders collide, and a psycho-sexual drama is unleashed as the trio struggles with the meaning of power, sisterhood, and freedom,“ state production notes from INTAR.
The production will have scenic design by Jorge Dieppa, lighting design by Lucrecia Briceno, costume design by Meghan Healey and sound design by Marcelo Añez.
“The scope of artists who have worked at INTAR represents the finest Latin-American voices working in the American theatre. Jose Rivera’s adaptation of The Maids by Genet, directed by Daniel Irizarry, continues that tradition,“ commented INTAR artistic director Lou Moreno in a statement. “This project is the collaborative effort of two extraordinary artists with very different theatrical aesthetics, and it brings a very current and personal point of view to a classic piece of theatre.”
INTAR is one of the country’s longest-running Latino theatres producing works in English. The Maids is presented in association with One-Eighth Theater, which continues its residency at INTAR Theatre. The show was developed, in part, with assistance from the Orchard Project, a program of The Exchange.
Tickets for all performances are $25 and may be purchased at intartheatre.org or by calling (212) 352-3101.
