For Molly @ Lenfest Center for the Arts (Streaming Online)

Hey everyone! It’s been a while, huh?

It’s been… a long time. I hope everyone is doing alright and still hanging in there.

There have been a lot of things I’ve missed doing this past year, including being able to perform, create and just be in physical community with other creatives and artists. So after a year of virtual everything, I was ecstatic to join the cast of For Molly, an original play by Ciara Ní Chuirc and Tatiana Kouguell-Hoell, directed by Camille Z. Hayes.

It was especially wonderful to be reunited with friend and director Camille Z. Hayes for her thesis production after having had the pleasure of collaborating with her throughout her time in the Columbia MFA Directing program. I could not have asked for a more steady or thoughtful leader to guide me back into performing in-the-flesh again, and I absolutely cannot wait to see all the amazing things she’s going to do now that’s she’s graduated!

Mary Oliver recounting a lovely walk in the woods. Also, there’s gin in her teacup ;)

Me as Mary Oliver. Photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp.

Although we rehearsed and staged the play as a live piece of theater (all under strict COVID-19 safety guidelines), we were unable to perform live in front of an audience for COVID-19 safety reasons. Instead, our incredibly talented Director of Photography, Tatiana Stolpovskaya, captured the production on film so that it could be shared with a larger audience virtually. Check out some screenshots from the film below!

As summarized on our show page, “For Molly explores the extraordinary four-decade relationship between the poet Mary Oliver and the photographer Molly Malone Cook. Between the East Village and Provincetown, through memories and photographs, the piece offers a portrait of Mary and Molly's romance. The narrative is brought to life in the blurred lines between dream and reality… The production tells its own version of a true love story, not just of the artist and her muse, but artist to artist and muse to muse; two partners who couldn’t be more different but whose drive and passion for their work built a shared sensibility that lasted over forty years.”

An moment of connection between Mary Oliver (me) and Molly Malone Cook (Kathleen O’Neal). Because we were not able to stage anything that brought us closer than 6 feet, we had to be really creative about how to convey physical intimacy! Special shout-outs to our Director Camille Z. Hayes and our Intimacy Coordinator Christina (Cha) Ramos for crafting such beautiful moments without sacrificing anyone’s safety.

Pictured, top to bottom, left to right: Maya T. Weed, Kathleen O’Neal, and Stephanie Litchfield (me). Photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp.

Look at that gorgeous visual atmosphere!!! All thanks to Lighting Designer Katie Whittemore and Scenic Designer Isabel S. Nelson.

Pictured, top to bottom, let to right: Maya T. Weed, Carolyn Rose Friedman, Kanika Asavari Vaish, Stephanie Litchfield (me), and Kathleen O’Neal. Photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp.

It was an incredible gift to have been able to return to in-person rehearsals and performance with this amazing group of artists and humans. Not only was this just a special show to be working on, but the care, support, and creative generosity that radiated from everyone in the room really affirmed for me why being able to create in the same space as other artists (even if we all had to be 6-feet apart at all times, rehearsals and performance!) is such a magical experience.

See full cast and production credits, and info on viewing For Molly below!

The For Molly cast, crew, and creative team right before filming!!!

CAST:

Mary Oliver - Stephanie Litchfield

Molly Malone Cook - Kathleen O’Neal

Ensemble Member 1 - Maya T. Weed

Ensemble Member 2 - Carolyn Rose Friedman

Ensemble Member 3 - Kanika Asavari Vaish

PRODUCTION TEAM:

Playwrights - Ciara Ní Chuirc and Tatiana Kouguell-Hoell

Director - Camille Z. Hayes

Producer - Ali Daylami

Dramaturg & Props Master - Diana Fathi

Production Stage Manager - Jianqiao Lu

Company Manager - Dani Turner

Scenic Designer - Isabel S. Nelson

Costume Designer - Carla Posada

Lighting Designer - Katie Whittemore

Sound Designer - Matt Coggins

Director of Photography - Tatiana Stolpovskaya

Intimacy and Movement Director - Cristina (Cha) Ramos

Assistant Stage Manager - Mia Qin (秦梦圆) and Eszter Zador

Visit our show page to watch the production online!

For Molly available to view through July 3rd, 2021.

P.S. If you missed the online streaming window, check out performance excerpts from the filmed play here!