The Convent of Pleasure by Hannah Cowley

Reviewed by: The Convent of Pleasure by Hannah Cowley Angelina Del Balzo Pleasure. ERRATA An online reading presented Red Bull Theater in New York, NY collaboration with R/18 Collaborative, live and recorded on Zoom March 14, 2022 available Video On Demand from 14–18, 2022. Directed Kim Weild. With Heidi Armbruster (Madame Mediator), Becca Ayers (Servant to Lady Happy/M. Facil), Talley Gale (Lady Virtue/M. Advisor), Cloteal Horne Happy), Anthony Michael Martinez (Take Pleasure/Ambassador), Rami Margron (Princess/Prince), Maria-Christina Oliveras Amorous/M. Courtly), Josh Tyson (Dick/Mimic). Program Notes Liza Blake (University Toronto). Even as theaters North America are beginning resume traditional in-person programming, theater has not gone away, there signs that staged readings productions will continue more frequency higher professionalism than before the pandemic. Theater, a York company specializes performing lesser-known classic drama, continues its robust programming seventeenth- eighteenth-century drama women last two years, have included benefit Frances Burney's Woman-Hater Cowley's Belle's Stratagem (reviewed Eighteenth-Century Studies 54.4, Summer 2021), now joined Margaret Cavendish's closet production embraced experimental approach dramatic form well play's inventive depiction gender presentation desire. This Pleasure, Collective, group scholars dedicated "re-activating Restoration theatre for twenty-first century,"1 is one most high-profile since founding 2019. As universities ever emphasizing public engagement, Collective suggests effective possibility open scholars. Blake, [End Page 125] co-director Digital Cavendish Project, served primary interlocutor this iteration Bull's usual supporting programming. In addition providing program notes, introduced content play nonacademic audience five-minute video introduction director Weild related work Shakespeare Ben Jonson, frequently dramatists at Bull. highlighted thematic exploration seeming difference between natural unnatural, focus plot metatheatrical conventions. was also publicized panel discussion, "The Closet or Stage? A Conversation about Pleasure," hosted week performance, which Misty G. Anderson, Julie Crawford, Kristina Straub explained matters including "closet" relationship stage, Royalist circles, playwrights after Cavendish. (Anderson production's uncredited dramaturg.) format energy insight panelists conversed resulted lively post-panel Q&A, exemplifying successful engagement beyond academy encouraging future productions. her pre-show conversation audience, emphasized ways pushed forward genre, innovation creatively making format. opening minutes play, Happy's suitors bemoan their unsuccessful attempts woo various women, were projected black white, background images prints. Happy began describe appearance convent through seasons, screen changed color, when Dorothy steps into technicolor world Oz, interior backgrounds became colorful photographs seventeenthcentury palaces such Versailles. did return colorless landscape opening, subtly pushing register conclusion in...