Deirdre McAllister is Maryvale's Director of Performing Arts, a Performing Arts Teacher, and the Performing Arts Department Chair. She recently directed Machinal at Fells Point Corner Theater. A local theatre reviewer, The Bad Oracle, listed this show as one of Baltimore's top five best shows this year.
"I feel honored to have directed this rarely produced and beautifully tragic play! Although it's 100 years old, women still face many of the same limiting feelings that the young woman in the play experiences. At times, it feels like there are no acceptable conditions to be a woman (in family, work, and social life). As a very early example of expressionist, feminist work, it feels fresh even today," Ms. McAllister expressed.
Machinal, by Sophie Treadwell, is a 1920s expressionist play loosely based on the execution of Ruth Snyder. The play goes through her life from work, marriage, child, affair, and then the murder of her husband, her trial, the sensitization of her story, and finally, her execution. Treadwell ponders in the play if the main character may have felt she had no choice in committing her crime to "get free" from the societal expectations of a woman in the 1920s.
"Since it's an expressionist play, we incorporated movement and sound that reflected the busy, chaotic, stifling, and oppressive environment that wares on the young woman and leads to her break. The cast of 11 were willing to take risks and collaborate," Ms. McAllister shared. She added, "One of my favorite elements was the filmed moments that served as transitions between the nine scenes and represented different parts of the young woman's life, from childhood to marriage and then her eventual crime, trial, and execution. The moments included original clips such as the young woman having a panic attack on a bus (a Maryvale bus!), feeling eyes watching her at work and at church, as well as clips from existing silent films, including a comedy called "The Consequences of Feminism," "Flaming Youth"; and Carl Theodor Dreyer's iconic silent film, The Passion of Joan of Arc."
Ms. McAllister took the Performing Arts Mastery Track seniors to see Machinal at Fells Point Corner Theater. They read the play in playwriting class ahead of time to see the 'page to stage' process firsthand.
"As an artist and a teacher, I think it's essential to continue creative pursuits outside of our community to stay connected to other artists and work on plays that are a little more outside of the box. I think artists need to ask questions and stay curious! Working in different capacities with various age groups on all types of work is essential for the growth of my imagination, as well as staying abreast of current trends in the industry. I want my students to know that they are artists no matter what they do or where they go. It's possible to find joy and healing in creative work, whether you're a teacher, mother, or work in finance! I hope my students feel empowered to create, no matter where their life takes them."
She encourages you to go see performances in Baltimore! You don't have to travel far to see good productions.
