Cassatt

[NoHo Arts District, CA]  – Theatre West presents Cassatt, a multi-media play exploring the life and art of this genius of La Belle Epoque.

About Cassatt

For the uninitiated, La Belle Epoque (“The Beautiful Era”) was a period where the arts flourished and reached exceptional achievements in Europe, especially in Paris, 1871-1914.

Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) was born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania and became a student at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia at the age of 15. Determined to make her own way in the world as a painter, she moved to Paris in 1866. Her paintings began to be featured at the Paris Salon. She became the first American woman to be accepted by the new Impressionist Movement and, exhibiting with them in 1879, she established an international reputation.

The play: On the grounds of her French country estate Mary Cassatt burns her early paintings. What led this celebrated American Impressionist to destroy such an important part of her legacy? In an age when men dominated the art world, Mary Cassatt made her mark in the salons of Paris, alongside great masters like Degas and Renoir. Her paintings celebrated the dignity and deeper meaning of women’s inner lives.

Mary Cassatt is an American treasure whose works are displayed in museums across the country, including, locally, at The Huntington. The new play Cassatt invites you to gain insight into the life, art, and creativity of this extraordinary individual.

Cassatt is written and directed by Arden Teresa Lewis. A recent Emmy winner for her documentary Leveling Lincoln (PBS), her next film, The Last Reunion, will be released in 2027. Her previous directing credits at Theatre West include Walking in Space, A Thorn  in the Family Paw, and The Night Forlorn, or Waitin’ on Godsford (Valley Theatre Award). She recently co-directed Sally Spectre Off Off Broadway. Her own plays include Grandma Good (Lilian Nesburn Award), Baby Dreams, and Little Rhonda. Also an actor, she has performed at Primary Stages,  Soho Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Bouerie Lane Theatre, and La Mirada Civic Theatre. She is a graduate of UCLA.

The Cast

The cast of Cassatt includes Samantha Gregory, Cecil Jennings, Saratoga Ballantine, Kathie Barnes, Alexandria Sanders, Lily Cadot, Briana Burnside, Walter Rodriguez, Caroline Quigley, and Daniel Korth.

The Team

Assistant to the director: Elise Walters. Set design: Jeff G. Rack. Graphic and projection designer: Gabrieal Griego. Costume design: Michelle Afradi. Production consultant: Elyse Ashton. Stage manager: Sarah Acuna.

About Theatre West

Established in 1962, Theatre West is celebrating its 64th year as the oldest continually running professional theatre company in the city of Los Angeles. It is a membership collective of actors, playwrights, directors, and technicians. Theatre West’s alumni members include Ray Bradbury, Beau Bridges, Richard Dreyfuss, Sally Field, Betty Garrett, Martin Landau, Lee Meriwether, Jack Nicholson, Carroll O’Connor, Sherwood Schwartz, Joyce Van Patten, Jim Beaver, and Paul Winfield.  Theatre West has produced more than 300 plays and musicals.  Of these plays, nearly 70% are original works developed in its workshops and many have led to Broadway, regional tours, and feature films including A Bronx Tale by Chazz Palminteri; A Very Brady Musical by Lloyd Schwartz and Hope Juber; Our Man in Santiago by Mark Wilding that transferred to Off-Broadway in the Fall of 2022;  and our co-production of Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground that went to Broadway in 2023..  Theatre West is supported in part by The Ahmanson Foundation, California Arts Council, Peter Glenville Foundation, The Green Foundation, Kaplan-Loring Foundation, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, National Endowment for the Arts, Lloyd E. Rigler-Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation, Sidney Stern Memorial Trust, Dwight Stuart Youth Fund, Leo Buscaglia, Comcast Universal, and L.A. Parent Magazine.

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