Maiden voyage
Written by Cayenne Douglass and Directed by Alex Keegan
The Siggy at The Flea Theatre at 20 Thomas Street, NYC
March 5th to March 17th
Maiden Voyage featuring Shimali De Silva, Georgia Kate Cohen, Natasha Hakata, Tricia Mancuso Parks, Rachel Griesinger, Kait Hickey, and Arianne Banda
Photo credit Bronwen Sharp
The Voyage Has Only Begun
What’s it like to be on a submarine? I’ve never been on one, but from the moment Maiden Voyage begins, I can imagine what it would be like. Written by Cayenne Douglass and directed by Alex Keegan, Maiden Voyage is a story of the first all-women US Navy patrol team. We follow along their journey, including their relationships with the military system and each other, until it all goes wrong.
Painted in a sea of gray paint, The Siggy stage at The Flea Theatre immediately floods the audience with the feeling of being aboard an underwater boat of metal. The technical and lighting design team creatively submerge the audience with projections and sound effects. Whale sounds included. Back-lit boards on both sides of the stage are strategically lit and painted to resemble the ship's control panels.
It is evident why Maiden Voyage has been the recipient of 3 Kennedy Center Awards. As Douglass puts it, “This play explores how a member of a historically marginalized group might respond under pressure when given an opportunity previously unavailable to them.” This 2 hour and 30 minute play is packed with layers of themes: What’s more important? Lives or Power? Expectations vs. Reality. Owning up to one’s mistakes, and the magic that happens when we work together. Douglass does not shy away from anything, not even religion, suicide, or sexual abuse. She also touches on the part maleness plays in how women present themselves. It’s a play about balancing the tightrope of gray messiness as the black and white world blurs.
Douglass asks the important question: “What happens when, technically you are given the opportunity, but you don’t feel validated in being a member of the mainstream and therefore overcompensate in order to justify your place as equals in society?” As an audience member and a woman, I have to give major kudos to Keegan and this troupe of actors. They embody the good, bad, dirty, and joyful moments of the gender equality journey. The way Keegan staged this production is seamless. Scene transitions are choreographed with unity. Her staging emphasizes the personal vs. the collective throughout the play. The actors play their roles to the fullest, displaying the hardships women swim through every day of their lives under the patriarchal system. There are dramatic moments that bring the audience to an impassioned silence. Countering that are laugh-out-loud moments. Act 1 has an energy-filled talent show scene complete with poetry, dance numbers, and magic tricks.
Toward the end of Act 2, the play hits its climax with fast-paced urgency that bleeds into the audience. You will find yourself sitting on the edge of your seat. I won’t give any spoilers away as you should see Maiden Voyage for yourself. The play ends with important takeaways: listening goes a long way; validation strengthens; empowerment comes from communication and compassion; the willingness to have an open mind is progress in itself; and togetherness is the way forward. All non-males feel claustrophobic on a submarine in life. Douglass has written a play to highlight that very concept. She has written that there is a way out and to never stop fighting for equality. I left the theater feeling revived and ready to face whatever may come my way head on. Maiden Voyage is running through March 17 at The Flea Theatre. Tickets are available here.
Trigger Warning
When you go to see Maiden Voyage, there is a QR code to scan at the front desk. The play contains sensitive topics that might trigger audience members:
Suicide, Domestic Abuse, and Depicts sexual assault. There are also loud noises including sound effects and music and flashing lights. Please be prepared before you see the show. If you have any questions or concerns, you are more than welcome to reach out to The Flea Theatre Box Office.
Reviewed by Amanda Montoni.
Published by Theatre Beyond Broadway on March 5th, 2024. All rights reserved.