Synopsis
In 1677, poet, translator, libertine, and spy for Charles II, Aphra Behn was the first published professional female playwright in the English language. Her play The Rover, or the Banish’d Cavaliers was wildly popular in the Court, but Behn was dismissed by critics as scandalous, lewd, and morally depraved, due to her frank address of female sexual longing.
The Rover on its surface is a fresh, lighthearted, and remarkably modern sex romp, detailing the amorous adventures of dashing English Cavaliers and a family of brave and beautiful Spanish gentlewomen at Carnival time. Masks and costumes allow these would-be lovers to break out of their everyday lives and play out their fantasies. But just beneath the play’s lusty facade, The Rover frees its female characters to kick at the cages of societal demands to be mother, wife, whore, or saint – and bites at unchecked power with shockingly sharp teeth.
The Hidden Room presents this rarely-performed delight through the lens of our favorite feminist-lined naughty entertainment – a few very special teen films of 1983 (with a very noted head bob to Martha Coolidge’s Valley Girl). So if you’re looking for a 1677/1983 mash-up of Restoration/New Romantic proto-feminist sexploitation, complete with swashbuckling sword fights, forbidden romance, masked revelers, and bitchen live music, then pop your ruffled collar and behold Aphra Behn’s The Rover.
Starring: Liz Beckham, Howard Burkett, Gabe Colombo, Kelly Hasandras, Brock England, Joseph Garlock, Jennymarie Jemison, Todd Kassens, Ronan Melomo, Toby Minor, Cesar Osorio, Amber Quick, Justin Scalise, Katy Taylor, Valoneecia Tolbert, Kenneth Williams, Daniel Aguilar, Jennifer Banister, Mark Gerchak, Andreá Smith
THREE WEEKENDS ONLY, Feb 15-March 3rd.
All shows at 8PM, except Sunday performances at 5PM.
Running time 190 minutes.
– PREVIEW Friday Feb 15th, 8PM – all tickets 1/2 price!
– VSA AUDIO NARRATION NIGHT Saturday Feb 16th, 8PM – please let us know if you would benefit from Audio Narration, which is generally most helpful to our attendees with limited vision.
– RELAXED PERFORMANCE with talkback Sunday Feb 17th, 5PM – Relaxed performances are intended to be more sensitive and understanding to those who may benefit from a more relaxed atmosphere from the box office through to the end of the show. We ask all in attendance to be generous and kind to our fellow theatre-goers who may need to make noise during the show.
– INDUSTRY NIGHT Wednesday Feb 27th, 8PM. Theatre people know how to party.
– NEW WAVE PARTY Thursday Feb 28th, 8PM, $5 of concession tickets when sporting a rad New Wave look!
‘Adsheartlikins, we’re sew shure.
