Southern Utah University theater professor Lisa Quoresimo’s original play, “Persuasion, A Queer Modern Farce,” will receive a one-day industry reading in New York City on Friday, Oct. 23, featuring several Broadway performers.
The play is a modern adaptation of Jane Austen’s final novel, “Persuasion,” which centers themes of love, identity and second chances through a queer perspective. The reading will be directed by Mindy Cooper and feature Broadway performers including Tony Award nominee Jenn Colella and Jessica Phillips.
The story follows Anne, a woman who was persuaded to give up the love of her life 18 years earlier. When her former love, Celia Wentworth, returns, Anne is given another chance to pursue the relationship she once left behind.
Quoresimo’s adaptation takes Austen’s original story and places it in a modern setting, replacing the novel’s wealthy British family with a family of former television stars. The character of Captain Wentworth is also reimagined as Celia, a queer activist.
In a joint statement, Quoresimo and Cooper expressed their excitement about bringing the adaptation to audiences.
“In a world full of modern Austen adaptations, we are missing one for the older, wiser lovers,” they said. “We are excited to bring to life this comic tale of queer joy, and of love that comes when it is least expected.”
The reading will also feature Alma Cuervo, Susan Lynskey, Jimin Moon, Tom Nelis, Salma Qarnain and Levin Valayil.
Quoresimo is an associate professor of theater at SUU, with experience in playwriting, directing and performance. Her work has been presented at theaters across the country and internationally.
The reading is produced by Off The/Lane and Catalyst: A Theatre Think Tank, an organization Quoresimo co-founded.
Author: Charlee Steed
Photo: Courtesy of UC Davis, Theatre and Dance
Editor: Lainey Porter
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