Alāna Rader

“First, Do No Harm” looks at a dark time in U.S. history when certain morality laws targeted women who were “suspected” of having a venereal disease, often resulting in non-consensual exams and sometimes a period of incarceration at “Rapid Treatment Centers.” In 1947, Grace, a waitress, is taken into custody for the suspicious act of eating alone at a diner. In the treatment facility, she meets Connie, a black sex worker and Lily a wealthy heiress who’s been diagnosed as “mentally feeble.” Unlikely friendships are formed as the young women plan their escape. In the modern timeline, we meet Essie, a young medical student who’s reckoning with her family’s multi-generational mistrust of the medical community, while hoping to change things and become a physician. “First, Do No Harm” interrogates the blind trust/mistrust within the medical community while celebrating the resilience of women in the face of adversity. This is a story about female friendship and is ultimately a call to change how the government tries to control and suppress women and their bodies.

What happens when women tell the story? The lines between fact and fable blur in the dystopian fantasy play “Warning,” where we are asked to confront power, truth, and the role women play in a society that has largely erased their stories from history. "Warning" weaves narratives and timelines from poetic Greek Mythology and 1918 Kansas, to an altered 2020. Cass, a reporter in, is being held captive at the White House, during the chaos of a dystopian pandemic. Meanwhile Cassie, a young nurse in Kansas battles the Spanish Flu. These timelines begin to merge and overlap when the soothsayer Cassandra attempts to intervene, redeeming her own tragic narrative and breaking the cycles of silence and abuse. Cass escapes and shares her story, creating a cascade of women coming forward, which brings about a new revolution. In the last scene, we see Cass, now an anchor, introducing the first female President. In a world where powerful men are often the loudest voices in the room, will Cass manage to be heard above their roar? And, will truth create a catalyst for change that ripples out of the theatre and into our streets?

Amanda Gorman meets the ghost of Emily Dickinson at a Boston cafe and poetry ensues. Is it a spiritual encounter or a dream?

The Woods is a modern fairytale about the power of love and the
bond we share with our Grandparents. Cora’s Grandfather built a
house that burnt to the ground but three carved wooden hearts
survived the fire. Each of those hearts representing a special
moment in their lives. As Cora’s Grandma, who shares her name, lays
dying in her hospital bed, she needs to share this secret with her
granddaughter.

EDGE is the story of Beatrice, on the ledge of her office building, contemplating death. Later, in the hospital, Beatrice has visions of herself at 8 years old. This inner child reignites her joy and reunites Beatrice with her passion and ultimately, herself.