Lynn Belvedere

POSSESSIONS

The Mancini Sisters
Jane Bergeron and Carrie Ann Quinn star in a new play about the Mancini sisters, POSSESSIONS.

POSSESSIONS is a brand new play, channeling the two Mancini Sisters, Marie and Hortense, as devised and written and performed by Jane Bergeron and Carrie Ann Quinn together with a fine ensemble cast that includes Frances Attard, Morgan Davis, Samantha Stewart and Shane Waddell.

This production is playing now at the King Street Theatre in Newtown for a very limited run. The show premiered in the USA at the Boston Playwrights’ Theatre in June 2013. I strongly recommend seeing this acclaimed production of POSSESSIONS with its ambitious quick juxtaposition of moods and settings that bring their history to life.

The Mancini sisters came from one of the richest, best-connected, most celebrated families in Europe.  The planned journeys of their lives were being mapped out for them by their parents. This included choosing for them both husbands of noble birth and political power.

POSSESSIONS reveals a story  that shows their lives played out very differently than was planned. The Mancini sisters suffered from abuse from their husbands, they needed to become brave and very independent noblewomen, due to the royal power exerted by the rich men that they married. Both unions were unhappy, the powerful co-dependent husbands, were both jealous, controlling, dysfunctional and cruel.

The powerful and provocative sisters ended up living scandalous lives, in and out of chateaux, courts and for years as a virtual prisoner in convents, they both wrote and published tell-all autobiographies, thus providing incredibly detailed information about the lives of royal noblewomen in France and in Italy.

In the seventeenth century, both Mancini sisters became notorious for abandoning their aristocratic husbands, plus for travelling across Europe unchaperoned and for dressing as men. Even more shockingly, they attempted to salvage their tarnished reputations, by writing and publishing their memoirs.

Co-writer Jane Bergeron reflected on the process,  “We really felt we knew them Both Carrie and my marriage ended in divorce. Are these women’s stories relevant to today? We’re living proof, because we have had very similar experiences.”

Well constructed, strong performances and very convincing unique piece of history. Vividly brought to life in this wonderful theatre play, with captivating, visceral performances by the cast. Interest is constantly sustained. Expertly weaved together on stage, all about the royal sister’s scandalous lives and deeply explores the relevance of their battles to today’s modern women.

A gold framed painting of the real Mancini Sisters, changes throughout the play to show many events and people in their lives, complete with modern songs by Beyoncé and Paul Simon used to great dramatic effect, including “Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover” shown on several fake Wikipedia web pages.

Clever set design, with quick changes of costumes. The structure of the play is tight, and moves quickly.

Highly recommended, Escape Artists Theatre Company production of the their new work, POSSESSIONS, conceived, written and performed by Jane Bergeron and Carrie Ann Quinn, is playing Thursdays to Saturdays at 7.30pm at the King Street Theatre, 644 King Street, Newtown.

For more information, visit,- http://www.escapeartiststheatreco.com/

Published by Lynn Belvedere

Once we were old enough, my parents took the whole family to the Sydney CBD cinemas every week. Thus began a lifetime interest, in going to the cinema every week, and became a passionate cinephile by watching all those very heavily edited ''Australian Film Censorship Board'' true cinéaste versions of brand new release ''Cinematograph Films''. Greater Union always gave my father (who worked in Cinema Distribution Exhibition) guest double movie passes, to every first-night ''red carpet Opening Night'' at The State Theatre Cinema at 49 Market Street. Up until his death, my dad always received ''two house seats'' for every Opening Night performance events at the Theatre Royal SYDNEY and at Her Majesty's Theatre SYDNEY. As a child, when mum choose not to go, I often went with him, to those live performance events. As a young child, I remember being taken for each new show, at both The New Theatre at 60 Sussex Street, and the Phillip Street Theatre when located at 150 Elizabeth Street, and for classical music concerts at Sydney Town Hall. = = = ★★★★★ = = = Being happy is a choice, and I have always viewed my life, as material ready be made into a series of amazing tentpole movies. My New Years Resolution is kept every year: ''Get to see/review five new live theatre shows each week, and get to see/review six new cinema movies each week'', plus is one of the Australian Cinema Pioneers, and apparently have seen far too much already, but always wanting to experience more and more each year. I am also able to do almost everything that I enjoy doing. Yes, I do have a great daytime job in I.T. as ''Software Design Project Manager'', PLUS each evening until quite late - - - Australian Cinematograph Films historical censorship consultant - product-placement consultant - mystery-shopper consultant - playwright, writer, author, director, producer, photographer, cinematographer, color-grader, subtitles proofreader - arts/ drama/ music/ film critic and judge, journalist, member FIPRESCI & FCCA & AFCA, member AACTA accredited film reviewer-critic-writer, accredited IMDB.COM critic-reviewer-author, projectionist, plus an innovative iconoclast - - - ★★★★★ LYNN BELVEDERE ★★★★★ - - - [usr 5] - - -