FringeNYC Previews

Anais Nin Goes to Hell

Produced by Maieutic Theatre Works

Author: David Stallings

I thought of writing this play years ago when a philosophy professor told me that there were no women philosophers of note because women paid too much attention to detail and couldn't see the big picture. I wanted to prove him wrong. Anais Nin Goes to Hell is an existential comedy in the vein of Rosencrants and Guildenstern are Dead and Waiting for Godot. The trick with it is that the story is told with an ensemble cast of women playing Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, Queen Victoria and more! The play examines what happens when we get stuck in the definitions we have built for ourselves while at the same time questioning the motives of anyone who demands change in others. Throw in a hydra, slapstick comedy, Karen Carpenter songs, and erotic debates over sexuality and gender roles...and you have our play. There is also a mystery man that arrives on their shore.

The play is about women's lib icon Anais Nin, who thinks she knows what everyone needs. And she may be right. She brings feminism to legendary women from the past. The problem is that she doesn't allow for choice since she has already decided that her choices are right. The play is highly relevant to today's times, where entire countries decide the fate of others based on cultural elitism and superiority. The catch with this play is that it's funny, and we use women to tell the story instead of men.

Why did I choose to present this show? For one, it's entertaining. This play is topical while attempting to never lecture. It also has an ensemble cast that reinvents legendary characters in new/imaginative ways.

David Stallings, author