Gina Handy Minyard is ready to share ‘5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche‘ with the Dayton audience….the tale is ‘beautiful,’ ‘uplifting’ and ‘interactive.’ I was so excited to catch up with her to get more about Magnolia Theatre Company‘s latest production!
JS: Hi Gina. Thank you for taking time to chat. about your upcoming production! First, why did you choose this show in particluar?
GM: Hi Josh. Well, MTC loves a theme! The 2023-24 season focuses on joy, love, and belonging. ‘Five Lesbians Eating a Quiche’ is a perfect way to show these things. Although the show has a funny title, it really tells a beautiful story about these 5 women and how they work together in good times- a quiche breakfast, and bad times- the threat of an atomic bomb. We wanted audiences to be able to laugh this year. Also, we are committed to uplifting underrepresented groups and lesbians are a group that are often missing from the theatrical stage. We are proud to bring this to Dayton audiences.
JS: True….and it’s something I never really considered. So, what should audiences expect from this production?
GM: This show is interactive! Audience members will be attending the 1956 Annual Quiche Breakfast. They become an active participant in our world. They can expect to be taken back to a simpler time, and they will laugh a lot. The show was written with an improvisation element, so no two shows will be the same.
JS: Love that! It definitely makes things fresh…for you and for your viewers. I guess, I really am interested in what this show centers around. The title certainly catches your attention!
GM: It’s 1956 and The Susan B. Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertrude Stein are having their annual quiche breakfast. As the assembled five women await the announcement of the society’s prize-winning quiche, the atomic bomb sirens sound! Has the Communist threat come to pass? How will the women respond as their idyllic town and lifestyle faces attacks?
JS: Ummmmmm….that is not at all where I thought this story was heading. WOW. Intrigued!! Good for the Magnolia Theatre Company for reaching toward such a unique play. (The MTC has quite a history. It was founded in 2012 by Gina Handy Minyard. MTC quickly became one of the most talked about theatres in Pennsylvania. Minyard, a professional actor, had become more aware of the gender disparities in the theatre, and research proved there was a lack of female leadership and opportunities for women. Inspired by change, she decided to start a professional theatre company dedicated to women. The company moved to Dayton, OH in 2014 where the need for professional theatre for women was bigger than ever. MTC joined the ImPACt program at the Victoria Theatre Association. Their first show, Parallel Lives, was produced with 100% local, female talent. MTC has continued in its quest, producing the fundraiser Broadway Beveled, an evening of male songs and monologues gender flipped. Magnolia Theatre Company also started Femme Artisan, a staged reading series dedicated to new and under produced work. In 2022, with the help of the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District, MTC became a 501(c)3 organization. They have become a producing partner with the University of Dayton’s Theatre, Dance and Performance Technology program for the 2023-24 season and is a new member of Dayton Live’s Community Spotlight Program.)
JS: So, Gina, I know you are directing the show. Who are the 5 cast members?
GM: It’s a great cast. Sarah Gomes, Emma Massey, Skye Hodgkin, Cydnie Hampton, and Vera Allen. Our stage manager is Alyssa Jenkins.
JS: Stellar group. How do people see the show?
GM: It runs April 4,5 and 6 at 7:30 pm. April 6 and 7 at 2pm. We are performing at the PNC Arts Annex 56 W. 2nd St. Dayton, OH 45402. The show runs 70-75 min. No intermission.
JS: To you and all the cast, BREAK LEGS!! Thank Gina!
For more info, go to http://www.daytonlive.org/events/five-lesbians-eating-quiche/
