A local acting company is putting on a play said to be filled with comedy, drama, and revenge.
Drowning Girls, presented by Theatre Northwest, tells the story of three women who married, and were eventually killed by, an infamous serial murderer.
#TheatreNorthwest showcasing #DrowningGirls, a play about love gone wrong @mypgnow pic.twitter.com/C0gvdJCgDA
— Kyle Balzer (@KyleBalzer) January 18, 2017
Director Kate Newby says this is based on a true story set in early 20th-century England.
“It’s based on George Joesph Smith, who was a serial murderer, took their money, their inheritance, and their insurance. They come back in a purgatory state and they talk to us and tell us their story and they try to obtain justice.”
All three women were murdered in their bath tubs and according to Newby, they’re being portrayed as themselves coming back to life to tell their stories.
Local actress Lauren Brotman plays Bessie, one of the three women Smith marries and drowns.
She says Drowning Girls has something to offer for all age groups.
“It’s also so theatrical because we’re working with water; we’re in bath tubs. I think it’s going to be really exciting, I think they’re going to be on the edges of their seat because we are so focused and so much is happening. I just think that people are going to feel like their heart is racing.”
Brotman also hopes the audience will leave the play reflecting on how they treat women in today’s world.
“Some people are remarkable! They’re actively trying to make sure women are treated equally and paid equally, and some people may not be as aware, not necessarily in a malicious way, but that they’re not as aware that there are so many other complex things that women are dealing with.”
The production will also feature Sarah Rao Canero as Alice and Heather Morrison as Margaret in the three-woman show.
Drowning Girls runs for three weeks from January 26th to February 15th.
PHOTOS: #TheatreNW presents #DrowningGirls! Play hopes to showcase women’s issues; features local actresses, director @mypgnow pic.twitter.com/bn4ggWmxXp
— Kyle Balzer (@KyleBalzer) January 18, 2017