Ellen Anderson’s two favorite subjects come together in her new play opening this weekend. There’s Detroit, her hometown and an ongoing obsession, and then there’s what she describes as “love crazy women of all shapes and sizes.” In the Forest of Detroit follows two docents from Detroit’s distinguished Institute of Arts who wind up in an abandoned house with a valuable African statue. When the African god represented by the idol comes alive in the form of a woman, things quickly get interesting. As Anderson put it, “mayhem ensues, and terrible trouble, but it’s magical.”
Craziness, yes, but then that is all part of the plan for Dramatic Women, the theater collective responsible for producing this and many other plays by area playwrights. The group has been promoting women’s involvement in all aspects of theater and bringing original work by area writers to the stage in Santa Barbara since 1993. The not-so-secret strength of Dramatic Women is particularly evident in Anderson’s work, as she consistently manages to write from a fully engaged feminist perspective while still creating stories with universal appeal. In the Forest of Detroit, which opens on May 15 at Center Stage and runs through Saturday, May 23, will benefit from an excellent cast that includes Leslie Gangl Howe, Lisa Gates, Wendy Sims-Moten, Mickey Flacks, Terry Li, Caroline DeLoreto, Tyler X. Koontz, Erica Flor, and Tonea Lolin.
As in Anderson’s other Detroit play, 2010’s Bedtime in Detroit, the subject is, according to the author, “white privilege all over again” but from the perspective of “middle-aged women who are trying to do better.” Anderson’s wry tone belies her startlingly undimmed passion for humanity and for the theater. Her plays may take a similarly irreverent approach to character and situation, but they always tackle tough issues without flinching or preaching.