"An Honest Woman," original play premiere

The Mezzanine presents the world premiere of AN HONEST WOMAN, a play by local playwright Rebekah Shardy that is as pithy, petite and provocative as its subject.

Dorothy Parker (1893-1967) was a fearless writer when few women lived large through print, and remains a firebrand for free expression. She wrote prolifically: from reviews for the New Yorker Magazine and Vanity Fair, to poems, short stories, and screenplays. Her point of view was scathingly truthful, often ribald, and still relevantly quotable.

Dorothy is dead but back with a celestial charge: she must find an honest woman. She banters with Robert Benchley, old boss from the New Yorker, and Death – – an enduring obsession of her life and writing, who serves as a singular Greek chorus for her wit (‘educated insolence’ according to Aristotle) and weakness. Secrets are revealed: what led to being blacklisted in 1955?  

While engaging us in musings on the courage of dissent, AN HONEST WOMAN also entertains by celebrating Dorothy’s bon mots, interactions with cosmic forces, and endearing music of the period. Retro cocktails and many quips later, you will have something to talk and laugh about… long after curtain fall.