Philadelphia theater artist Mary Tuomanen has developed a hilarious dark comedy, and her work is premiering Thursday, June 11, at SEI Innovation Studio. The one-woman show, "Hello! Sadness!," will star the playwright and run for three performances through Saturday, June 13.
Using comedic dramatizations of historical characters, Tuomanen will be playing with female archetypes through the story of her personal struggle to write a play about Joan of Arc. From Emily Dickinson to a dog named Blanco, she'll be stretching her imagination and her audience's in this work inspired by the French novel "Bonjour Tristesse."
Made in collaboration with Aaron Cromie and Rebecca Wright, the play is directed by Annie Wilson. The project is the result of Tuomanen's participation in the 2014 Kimmel Center Theater Residency with poet and performance artist Dael Orlandersmith.
Check out a behind-the-scenes look at "Hello! Sadness!" with Toumanen below:
Hello! Sadness!
Thursday, June 11; Friday, June 12; and Saturday, June 138 p.m. | $23
SEI Innovation Studio
300 S. Broad St.
(215) 893-1999