The Tamesis
“In that sense, the show is extremely illegal,” Byrne said. “As we sat around the rehearsal table, we ended up discussing the nature of sex and romantic relationships. People have feelings about it, people have opinions about it — it’s an ancient part of our culture.”
Photo: Evan Zimmerman
“When you think about it, even now, there are people in the audience who really can’t stand what these women did on this show, especially how it ended…” mused O’Hara. (At one point, her Julia pointedly points out how unfair it is that “men should have a monopoly on wild oats.”) “I just love breaking through that,” she continues. “I love being a part of something like this, and I hope you’re surprised. If you’re still surprised, then let’s keep going. Let’s keep pushing it.”
Coward’s insights into women’s social oppression have surprised some, considering he was only in his early 20s when he wrote the show. But O’Hara credits his instincts to his childhood in the theater, where he spent a lot of time with women speaking freely about their experiences.
In fact, Julia and Jane discussed everything with each other and became increasingly familiar with each other, and they began what O’Hara calls “a great, playful little evening” waiting for Maurice to arrive, who happened to find them dining lavishly in their gorgeous gowns. As emotions run high and the champagne drains, Coward turns the living room into a battlefield where the women insult and complain. At times, both actresses struggled not to break down on stage.
“Every night, it’s a new adventure — someone’s going to throw something up,” O’Hara said. “We do something different every night. We just try not to laugh at each other.”
Yet for all the show’s joy, its more sober ideas lie just beneath the frothy surface – one in which two women desperately crave the attention of their husbands. “[The play] People just think of it as fiction, but I think there’s a nice touch of realism in it,” O’Hara said. “We try to tell you what we need, but you just don’t hear it.
