Luciole International Theatre Presents The Real Mother of Marilyn Monroe

Luciole International Theatre Company presents the American premiere of The Real Mother of Marilyn Monroe by award winning Portuguese playwright Armando Nascimento Rosa.

Show Tickets

Staging the story of one of the most iconic figures and myths of the twentieth century, a few days before her death in the summer 1962, this brilliant psychological thriller gives voice to the cathartic confrontation between Marilyn Monroe and her aging mother Gladys Baker in a life-or-death scenario. Writer Anne Flèche reflects on Marylin saying: “The relation of film to theatre here exemplifies Rosa’s creative use of the borrowed quality of myth – it’s layered identities that resonate in the culture, underwriting belief, and provoking a polysemy of identity that approaches the paranoiac. (…) Rosa’s theatre is a theatre of transformation, regeneration.” As secrets are revealed and the characters transform, Marilyn's public identity gives way to an identity crisis of “misfit” vs.“superstar” that resonates deeply with today’s contemporary media- driven culture.

Armando Nascimento Rosa is one of Portugal’s most successful 21st century playwrights. Marvin Carlson, one of the greatest theater theorists of our time comments Rosa’s work in his writings about theatre and American subjects: “The plays of Armando Nascimento Rosa have covered a remarkable range of subject matter (…), they have always featured richly drawn characters and a creative originality that approaches even familiar figures of history and legend from fascinating and expected new directions.” Rosa is the recipient of a number of prestigious European awards, including the Ribeiro da Fonte Revelation Theatre Prize, Albufeira Drama Prize, and Bernardo Santareno National Theatre Award. Global productions and staged readings of his plays have been held in Barcelona, London, Madrid, Milan, Rio de Janeiro, Zurich and on stages in the USA, Including NYC, Chicago, and New Orleans.

THE REAL MOTHER OF MARILYN MONROE
By Armando Nascimento Rosa
Translated by Susannah Finzi Directed by Clara Ploux Assistant directed by Camron Alexander
Cast: Rachel Ollagnon, Heidi Hinkel, Micah Obregon Music by Armando Nascimento Rosa, Laura Macedo and Marcelo Silva Art Projections by Paulo Cabrita

Costumes design by Betsy Larabee Photography by Pin Lim
May 26- June 4

Evening performances: Wednesday-Saturday at 8pm
Matinees: Sundays at 3pm Monday, May 29 at 8pm: Pay What You Can
Matchbox 1 MATCH | Midtown Arts Theatre Center Houston
3400 Main Street Houston, TX 77002
TICKETS: MATCH Box Office: 713-521-4533

This project is funded in part by the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance.
artshound.com