The Maids 2010

CAST

Solange DEREK MCLUCKIEClaire WILLIAM BRENNAN Madame RICHARD PEARS

Directedby...................................PaulineGoldsmithDesign...................................................ColinO’HaraProductionManager.................................RayLoveProductionAssistant...................JohnPaulMurrayProducedby...................................StevenThomson

a a a

THE MAIDS isthemurderoustaleoftwosisters,enviousservantstothewealthy,self-centredandimperiousMadame.InherabsenceSolangeandClaireplundertheirmistress’covetedwardrobeandactoutthegrotesqueritualsofdominanceandsubmission.TheillegitimateandabandonedchildofaParisianprostitute,JeanGenetwasavagabond,arent-boy,acriminalpoetgeniusandperhapsthegreatestprosewriteroftheTwentiethCentury.The Maids isinspiredbyabrutalmurdercaseinvolvingthePapinsistersthatshocked1930sFrance.

JEAN GENET wasbornin1910,theillegitimatesonofaParisianprostitute,andorphanedsevenmonthslater.Attheageoften,hewasaccusedofstealing.Althoughinnocentbuthavingbeendescribedasathief,theyoungboyresolvedtobeathief.“Thus,”wroteGenet,“Idecisivelyrepudiatedaworldthathadrepudiatedme.”Attheageofthirteen,afterbeingawardofthestate,hebeganalifeofcrimeandadventure.From15to18GenetwasintheMettraypenitentiary,aplaceofhardlabour,whereacodeoflove,honour,gestureandjusticewasenforcedbytheinmates,andwherehissexualawakeningoccurred.HethenjoinedtheFrenchForeignLegioninSyria.Hedesertedandspentmoreperiodsinprisonlivingbypettytheft,begging,andhomosexualprostitution.Bytheageof23,GenetwaslivinginSpain,sleepingwith

aone-armedpimp,lice-riddenandbegging-aperiodwhichbecamethebasisforThe Thief’s Journal,hisrecordofajourney,inwhichnoaspectofsuffering,sordidness,anddegradationwassparedhim.Between1930and1940,hewanderedthroughoutEuropeandheeventually,hefoundhimselfinHitler’sGermanywherehefeltstrangelyoutofplace.“Ihadafeelingofbeinginacampoforganisedbandits.Thisisanationofthieves,Ifelt.IfIstealhere,Iaccomplishnospecialactthatcouldhelpmetorealizemyself.Imerelyobeythehabitualorderofthings.Idonotdestroyit.”

Atage32,whileinprison,hestartedwritinghisfirstmanuscript,Our Lady of the Flowers.Itwasdiscoveredanddestroyed.Genetrewroteitfrommemory.ThishandwrittenmanuscriptwassmuggledoutofhiscellandeventuallycametotheattentionofCocteauandSartre,wholobbiedvigorouslyforapardonfromalife-sentence.MorethanfortyintellectualsandartistspetitionedtheFrenchgovernmentonGenet’sbehalf.Ignoringtraditionalplotandpsychology,Genet’sworkreliesheavilyonritual,transformation,illusionandinterchangeableidentities.Genet’sstatureasanoriginalandimportantwriterwascementedwithSartre’sstudyofhiminthebookSaint Genet.

Genetwroteanumberoftheatricalpieceswhichfurtherestablishedhissuccess,beginningwiththeproductionofThe Maids,andfollowedbytheotherclassicplays:The Blacks, The Balcony,andThe Screens.Genet,believedthetheatreshouldbeanincendiaryevent,andwaspreciseabouthowhisworksshouldbeproduced.Genetwroteofthegayworld,withoutapologyorexplanation,revealingbeautyintheharshworldinwhichhischaracterslivedlovedanddied.Hedeeplyfeltasenseofsolidaritywiththieves,andsociety’sdispossessed.Inlaterlife,GenetchampionedthecausesoftheBlackPanthersintheUnitedStatesandPalestiniansoldiersinJordanandLebanon.Hisfinalwork,Prisoner of Love,isarecordofhisyearsspentwiththesetwogroups.HediedonApril15th1986.

BY JEAN GENET

AGlasgay!ProductionDirectedbyPaulineGoldsmith

TronTheatre,4-13November2010

COLIN O’HARA (Design)ColinO’HaraisaGlasgowbasedArchitectandInteriorDesignerwithhisowncompany,cohdesign.ThisishisthirdfullscaletheatredesignforGlasgay.In2008hedesignedTennesseeWilliam’sAnd Tell The Sad Stories of the Death of Queens. In2009hedesignedMemory Cells byLouiseWelsh.ThisishisfourthproductionforthefestivalhavingrecentlydesignedPanic Patterns byZoeStrachan&LouiseWelshattheCitizensTheatreinOct2010.HisworkcanalsobeseenattheGFTcafébarandinnumeroushomesaroundGlasgow.colinohara@gmail.com

RAY LOVE (ProductionManager)Aperformingmusiciansince1978,Rayquicklymovedontosoundengineeringandhasovertheyearsdevelopedexperienceofawiderangeofthetechnicalaspectsofliveevents.Nowpredominantlydoingtechnicaltheatreroles,Rayalsocomposes.

JOHN PAUL MURRAY (ProductionAssistant)JohnPauliscurrentlystudyingatQueenMargaretUniversity,Edinburghonaoneyeardirectingcourseafterpreviouslytrainingandworkingasanactor.HeperformedinGlasgay!in2007in3 Minutes.

THANKSKarenBryce,JoMasson,DavidSneddonandallattheTron;GrantConnell;GraemeAlexander-Young;RoddyMcDonald;RhianWilliams;PavelandSallyLatimer.

PRODUCED BY GLASGAY! t/aGALAScotlandLtd87-91Saltmarket,GlasgowG15LETel01415527575/8info@glasgay.com | www.glasgay.comALtdCo.Reg.SC157153CharitySCO23620VATReg797386359

BIOGRAPHIES

PAULINE GOLDSMITH (Director)Paulineisanactress,directorandwriterfromBelfast.RecenttheatreincludesThe Beggars Opera andLittle Otik (VanishingPoint)The Snow Queen (DunfermlineTheatre),Bliss (TronTheatre),Sparr (Fablevision),This Piece of Earth (Ransom)Elizabeth Gordon Quinn (NationalTheatreofScotland).HerfilmworkincludesBoy (2010),Peacefire (2008),Hikkimori (2008),Map with Gaps (2007),16 Years of Alcohol (2003),The Magdalene Sisters (2002).Shewonthe2004BestActressAwardattheEdinburghFringeFestivalforherperformanceinSamuelBeckett’sNot I.Pauline’swritingcreditsincludeJohnny Ringo (2009),Should Have had the Fish (2006)andBrightColoursOnly(2001).ThisisPauline’sthirdproductionforGlasgay!,lastappearinginAlan Bennett’sTalking Heads (2007)andasMissVivienLeighinDerekMcLuckie’sElysian Fields: The Life and Curious Death of Tennessee Williams (2008).Paulineisalsoanoccasionalstandupcomedian.

DEREK MCLUCKIE (Solange)DerektrainedatAcademyofLiveandRecordedArtsLondonandRSAMD,Glasgowintheearly1980’s.HealsotrainedMimeandDancewithLindsayKempandtouredinEuropepriortotakingupanMAinTheatreStudiesandHistoryofArtattheUniversityofGlasgow.HisrecenttheatreworkincludesKiss of the Spiderwoman (2005),The Bacchae (2003),The Devils, Blood and Water, Cagliari (1996),Arsenic & Old Lace (1995).HehasalsoworkedforHopscotchTheatre,XTCDanceCoTheatreworks,FablevisionandAtsimevu.Derekwritesandregularlyperformshisownpoeticworks.HissoloworksNight Twisted Tales (2006),andNight Sullied Flesh (1998/9)appearedatGlasgay!,theEdinburghFestivalFringeandtheDublinFestival.DerekwascommissionedbyGlasgay!in2008towriteanddirecthisfirstfulllengthplayElysian Fields: The Life and Curious Death of Tennessee Williams (2008).Derek’ssolowork‘NightTwistedTales’canbeseenonYouTube.

WILLIAM BRENNAN (Claire)WullieBrennanisaGlasgowbasedactorwhorecentlyappearedasSirWalterScottinBBCScotland’sA History of Scotland.FilmCreditsincludeDavidMcKenzie’sYoung AdamandKennyGlennan’sGas Attack.WulliehasworkedextensivelyinScottishTheatre–aregularwithKyboTheatreandheisduetoappearasBerthaBawheidinHopscotch’sPuss In Boots.

RICHARD PEARS (Madame)RichardplayedWilliamHolmanHuntintheBBCFOUR’sThe Pre-Raphaelites: Victorian Revolutionaries.HeiscurrentlydirectingashortfilmcalledAubergineforFilmGandisdevelopingthescriptfora2ndshortfilmCravewhichissettofilmthisDecember2010.RichardsawhisprofessionalactingdebutwithDerekMcLuckie’sElysian Fields: The Life and Curious Death of Tennessee Williams (2008).SincethenRichardhasbeenthedirectorforthePatterMerchantsTheatreCompany,theirproductionsinclude:Abigail’s Party (2009)andThe Glass Menagerie (2010).ThePatterMerchant’sreforminthenewyearwithaproductionofWho’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf (2011).Richardalsoworksincommunitytheatredeveloping,writinganddirectingoriginaltheatreandissettostartuphisownTheatreCompany-DithyrambTheatreofDrama–whereheaimstoteachtheatreandfilmmaking.