As a part of their new reading series For Your (Re)Consideration, which explores the works of female playwrights, Ghostlight Ensemble presents The Convent of Pleasure by Margaret Cavendish. Featuring a variety of voices and styles from different historical periods, the virtual readings seek to bring attention to women that have historically been overlooked due to their gender and race.
Written in 1688, The Convent of Pleasure tells the story of a group of unmarried women, initiated by Lady Happy, who choose to avoid the pains or displeasures that exist in a male-dominated world and instead create their own community, or convent, to create their own self-functioning society.
This virtual reading is directed by Seattle-based Storytelling Interdisciplinary Artist Andrew Coopman. According to a spokesperson for the event, “what drew Coopman to the piece is it is one of the earliest examples of not just queer narrative, but non-binary narrative as well.” The cast of The Convent of Pleasure includes: Ensemble Member Song Marshall with Lotus Lindez, Cynthia Becker, Sagen Berry, Sebastian Summers, Aria Caldwell, Ira McIntosh, and KJ Snyder.
