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January 12, 2017

Finding Their Voice: A Feminine Ending


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Title
A Feminine Ending

Author
Sarah Treem

What It’s All About
Amanda dreamed of being a famous composer – not the daughter of an almost-divorce, the fiancée of an almost-celebrity, the ex of an almost-lover, and the writer of mediocre jingles. Maybe it’s a ridiculous dream – after all, how many brilliant female composers are there? Still, she’s always there for others, fighting of fangirls and picking up her parents’ pieces, and even in her dreams she facilitates the creativity of famous men. But after years of supporting everyone else, Amanda tries to find a way to focus on herself, and somehow, to make music.

Why You Should Do This Play
This play puts its finger right on what so many young female artists have struggled to express for years: what it means to create art in a field where women are invisible. The play is simple, lovely, and emotionally honest, with simple set needs and a number of strong roles. With gorgeous monologues and achingly authentic dialogue, it’s also an excellent choice for scene study or audition pieces. Overall, A Feminine Ending is a must read for creative young women, or for anyone who has ever struggled to find their voice.

The Particulars
A Feminine Ending is a play for two women and three men. One man and one woman play 50s, as Amanda’s parents, and the other three characters are mid-twenties. The most significant technical element of the show is projections, whose text introduces scenes. Otherwise, the show especially needs one strong actress unafraid to be especially raw onstage – and, of course, who can play a few notes on the oboe, Amanda’s instrument of choice.

Need to Know
A Feminine Ending premiered at Playwrights Horizons in 2007. It was the first major production of Treem’s work, which also includes Samuel French title Mirror Mirror as well as The How and the Why, When We Were Young and Unafraid, and others.

To purchase a copy of A Feminine Ending click here, and to learn more about licensing a production, click here.