William Shakespeare and the Bechdel Test
How much agency do female characters have in works of fiction? In 1986, US-American cartoonist Alison Bechdel provided a simple set of rules for figuring this out: the Bechdel test. Are there at least two female characters in the work? Do they speak to each other? About something other than men?
In all of William Shakespeare’s thirty-six plays, there is exactly one overlooked scene in a mostly overlooked play (Richard II) where two women converse.
With this in mind, omfg hamlet do i look like i care questions the supposed universality of Shakespeare’s themes. Combining Shakespearean language with modern dialogue and original text by creator/actor Kay Marie and writer/director Katya Mokhort, the production investigates what happens when women are finally allowed the stage — and the conversation — all to themselves.
Two powerhouse performers take on a multitude of roles, including queens, noblewomen, podcast hosts, karaoke singers, dancers and professional bowlers. A male actor appears in a deliberately sidelined supporting role, used purely as a narrative device. What begins as an absurdly comic interview between two clueless influencers soon spirals into a chaotic, heartfelt, and surprisingly tender journey through female experience — both real and imagined.
- Sat, November 1 | 8pm
Main Stage
Created, Co-Written and Performed by Kay Marie | Co-Written and Directed by Katya Mokhort | Choreographed and Performed by Courtney Dahl | Performed by Daniel Paul Carey | Set and Costume Design by Natalia Chernova | Produced by Grigory Sazankov
Special thanks to Theaterhaus Berlin and Kulturzentrum OKNO for the generous use of their rehearsal spaces.