Axed! Slashes Through Stereotypes

Who was Lizzie Borden? Axed! is an evening of one-act plays by Carolyn Gage that explore the identity of one of the most misunderstood women in New England history. The plays will be presented at Lucid Stage in Portland at 8 PM on January 6 and 7, and in a matinee performance at 2 PM on January 8.

Both of the plays present the alleged ax murderer through the eyes of women who had intimate connections with her. The first play, Lace Curtain Irish, is a one-woman play featuring Denise Poirier in the role of Bridget Sullivan, the Irish maid who was present on the morning of the murders. This production, directed by Ariel Francoeur, premiered this fall in an Off-Off Broadway Festival.

The second play, The Greatest Actress Who Ever Lived, directed by Gage, takes a look at Lizzie through the eyes of her lesbian lover—the famous actress Nance O’Neil. In this play, Karen Ball, in the role of Nance, spars with a closeted tabloid reporter played by Joseida Lord. The play also premiered this fall in New York at the Fresh Fruit LGBT Festival. 

The plays will be followed by a talk-back with the playwright and the actors.

“As a lesbian historian, I have been haunted by Lizzie Borden for many years,” says Gage. “But she was one of the most private women in history, and so it has been necessary to approach her identity through the more colorful characters in her life—and these women are wild!”

The event is a fundraiser for Lucid Stage, produced by Cauldron & Labrys Productions. Tickets for the event are $12 ($10 for students and seniors)