“5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche” takes on Fringe NYC!

The New Colony's production of "5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche" ran last summer in Chicago to much critical acclaim. The play follows the Susan B. Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertrude Stein dealing with the fallout from Red Menace scares and atomic bomb controversy in 1956. It has received subsequent regional premieres in Omaha, Nebraska, Boulder, Colorado, Charleston, South Carolina and San Francisco, California. Producer John Arthur Pinckard (whose work includes the Tony-award winning production of "Clybourne Park") will help the New Colony bring "5 Lesbians" to this year's New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC.)

The play started off as a devised collaborative piece. While New Colony artistic directors Andrew Hobgood and Evan Lindner are credited as writers, Mary Hollis Inboden, Megan Johns, Thea Lux, Beth Stelling and Maari Suorsa have been credited as contributors. This collaborative approach to the work was not specific to just the writing of the piece. "New Colony's take on collaborative and divisive theatre is amazing because they allow you to improvise," said Rachel Farmer, who plays Lulie in the production going to FringeNYC. "You are allowed to mold it to who you are as an actor. It makes it your own."

The New Colony is remounting the production in Chicago for a limited engagement through August 5th at the Center on Halsted before taking it to FringeNYC. Original director Sarah Gitenstein. "Chicago audiences were great! There were older people, older lesbians, everyone," said Thea Lux, who appeared in the original Chicago production and taking on a completely different role for this incarnation. "It was a community and it was wonderful. They were so enthusiastic and joyous."

For FringeNYC, "5 Lesbians" will run at various dates and times at the Living Theatre (21 Clinton Street, NYC) beginning August 10. "I would love for this show to get the most recognition it can get at FringeNYC," said Lux. "It's a solid script and a great cast."

Co-star Farmer echoes the sentiment, adding: "I think we're going to show them a different sort of ensemble show. Chicago theatre is all about ensemble. You know Chicago theatre by it: there's something raw and exciting about it."

For more info please visit www.thenewcolony.org or www.fringenyc.org.

photo credits: Christina Stardone