Democra
(or a sacred doe replaces Iphigenia on the sacrificial altar)

An Irons in the Fire Project

December 2, 2022 @ 3:00pm
The Great Room, ART/NY South Oxford Space

Written by Heloise Wilson
Directed by Kathleen Capdesuñer

Audience must be masked and provide proof of vaccination with valid ID.
This venue is wheelchair accessible.
Feel free to contact us with any questions on accessibility.

Synopsis

Democra is inspired by the first hand interviews of humanitarian workers, legislators, and bureaucrats taking a new look at the ancient Greek myth of “Iphigenia”. The play interrogates modern idealism and women’s sacrifice, both personal and professional, in times of peace and crisis.

At an anonymous intergovernmental agency, five unpaid interns navigate harassment, virtue signaling, and the day to day details of legislation-making. When an unidentified journalist publishes a blog à la “Gossip Girl”, the agency secretly places microphones everywhere to catch the whistleblower. The interns are now in charge of video surveillance maintenance too. 

Meanwhile at a modern day refugee camp, the echoes of Iphigenia still reverberate. While the agency is concerned with the preservation of ancient culture, other sacred sites, and most importantly their image, Amrah, a 6 year old Syrian girl, traces her latest lesson in the dirt: her name in Greek. Amrah and her sisters are the modern Trojan women; erased from our current history, but still very much alive.  

As the interns learn of the agency's dark inner workings, they are forced to reckon with the underbelly of their idealism. Who do we choose today in our societies to sacrifice in order to achieve “peace” or responsible morality? What if Iphigenia was alive today? What would she say? And what would make her angry?

Performed By

Yadira Correa
Charise Greene
Katherine George
Jackie Leon
Rachel Lin
Ash Mayers

Stage Directions: Katherine Bahena-Benitez
Stage Manager: Hannah Sgambellone

Playwright

HELOISE WILSON [she/her] is an actor, writer and filmmaker. While working for the stage she tends to focus on documentary, myth-inspired theatre and projects that are multilingual and multimedia. She has performed, has been curated and produced at various downtown venues such as JACK, Dixon Place, The Bushwick Starr, The Fringe, The Flea Theater, the Black Lady Theatre and many more.

She is the other half of the award winning production company called Little y, a not-for-profit multi-award winning film and theatre company committed to exploring the power and complexity of marginalised women by starting with the question... y? Her writing often explores family dynamics, sexuality, first times, and how social and political circumstances shape our identity and the environment we live in. Heloise's work is influenced by her interest in empirical sciences, and her background in philosophy/poetry.

She trained at the Stella Adler Evening Conservatory and received her MFA in Playwriting at Brooklyn College under the supervision of Mac Wellman, Erin Courtney & Anne Washburn. She is the recipient for the Literary Truman Capote Prize in playwriting (2013) and a double recipient for the Himan Brown award in creative writing (2014 and 2015). Heloise is also an affiliated New Georges Artist. Heloise is represented by ImaCrew and Séquence Sud.

Director

KATHLEEN CAPDESUÑER [she/her] is a Florida grown, immigrant raised, Cuban-American director and generative artist. Led by joy and integrity, Kathleen loves to direct, produce, and create work that is written by living artists, invites playful abandon, and is the right mix of weird and heartful. Kathleen is a fiercely generous collaborator who leads democratized modes of creation to decolonize the current artistic canon. 

Kathleen is a Roundabout Directing Fellow, The Civilians R&D Group Director in Residence, Teatro LATEA Reading Series Artistic Producer, Manhattan Theatre Club John Alper Directing Fellow, Latinx Theatre Commons Steering Committee Member, The COOP Youth Advisory Board Member, The 24 Hour Plays: Nationals alumna, and McCarter Theatre Center Directing Apprenticeship alumna. She’s developed and directed work with: Roundabout Theatre Company, Atlantic Theatre Company, Yale University, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Noor Theatre, Columbia University, Teatro LATEA, Moxie Arts New York, McCarter Theatre Center, PlayxPlay, and internationally in the Fringe Festival circuit. www.kcapdesuner.com

Poster Art by Sean Devare
Photos by Valerie Terranova