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Programme for "The Maids" by Jean Genet in 2010
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CAST
Solange DEREK MCLUCKIEClaire WILLIAM BRENNAN Madame RICHARD PEARS
Directedby...................................PaulineGoldsmithDesign...................................................ColinO’HaraProductionManager.................................RayLoveProductionAssistant...................JohnPaulMurrayProducedby...................................StevenThomson
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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.HisworkcanalsobeseenattheGFTcafé[email protected]
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/[email protected] | 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.
