What to Expect from BOYCOTT ESTHER

Hello, outcasts and underdogs,

Welcome to spring! It’s been a freshly warm week in Philadelphia, with parks overpopulating and flowers blooming — telltale signs of a new beginning.

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We had our own new beginning this week at Azuka with Tuesday’s first rehearsal of BOYCOTT ESTHER by Emily Acker, helmed by director (and Azuka Artistic Associate) Maura Krause! ESTHER is Azuka’s last show of this season, so you won’t want to miss it.

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But what can you expect from the show? Well, one theme we’ve followed throughout the season was that of masculinity -- its perils, its pitfalls, and its very definition. In the fall, JC Lee’s WARPLAY examined masculinity during wartime, and dramaturg Kris Karcher discussed its role in Ancient Greece. With BOB: A LIFE IN FIVE ACTS, we saw a modern American dreamer wanting to become “a Great Man.” Now, in ESTHER, one of the largest public forums dealing with the dangers of masculinity takes the spotlight: the #metoo movement. Here’s the story.

Emily Acker's Boycott Esther chronicles the aftermath of a young woman's career once her boss, a Hollywood mogul, becomes enmeshed in a workplace sexual misconduct scandal. In a world where information is spread and opinions are formed in the click of a mouse, this hilarious drama begs the pressing question: what is our collective capacity for forgiveness?

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It can be difficult to face the headlines right now, particularly in theater or at the movies, where we often go in search of escapism. But a show like this is not meant to be a dreary and cynical reminder of the depressing articles we see every other week on Facebook and Twitter. It’s a sharp, engaging, comic, and critical story coming out of a defining moment in society. Social media, masculinity, Hollywood, identity — intersecting to shape the future of our collective culture.

Scenic & Video Designer Jorge Cousineau presents

Scenic & Video Designer Jorge Cousineau presents

BOYCOTT ESTHER doesn’t ignore the news — hopefully it sparks new conversations about it. With a powerful cast (starring Allison Ormsby, of last season’s READY STEADY YETI GO, as Esther herself), and another great design team bringing the play — including its media-dominated world, in the form of dynamic video elements — to life, ESTHER is set to be a fitting conclusion to another season of unique stories from unexpected perspectives.

The show runs May 1 - 19th, and you can reserve your Pay What You Decide tickets now. Keep visiting the blog for chats with the team and explorations of the world of ESTHER. We can’t wait to see you at the theatre!

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- Lucas