‘The Maids,’ With Yerin Ha, Asks: Has Life Become One Big Performance?
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- Australian director Kip Williams is staging a new production of Jean Genet’s “The Maids,” which began performances on May 17 at St. Ann’s Warehouse following a previous run at London’s Donmar Warehouse.
- Williams has adapted the 1947 drama into a contemporary setting, focusing on two sisters, Claire and Solange, who serve a young billionaire influencer they both hate and admire, exploring themes of power, submission, and identity.
- The production incorporates modern technology, such as filming scenes with phones, to illustrate the characters' struggles with self-expression and the impact of digital culture on identity.
- The set design, featuring a flower-filled, cream-carpeted bedroom filled with designer clothes, symbolizes “capitalist femininity,” deepening the play’s exploration of societal roles and desires.
- Williams emphasizes the tension between authentic selfhood and the distractions of the modern world, highlighting how technology can distance individuals from their true selves.